In The Night of A Storm
by Platinum Angel1
Summary: The Final Fantasy VIII Story from a different point of view. Saifuu....FINALLY AN UPDATE! CHAPTER 9!
1. Wind Meets Fire

Ok, here's the disclaimer. I don't own Squaresoft's character in this story. Actually, Squaresoft so far owns all but one. Aki is mine! Take that SQUARE! Anyway.please enjoy this story. And don't worry Fujin Wind Goddess; I will continue my other story! I've just lost my muse, sort of. So I will write off and on between this one and the other one. But I will complete them both. Any way people, go ahead and read, and if you don't mind, reviews are highly appreciated.  
  
In The Night of A Storm  
  
  
  
An inquisitive red eye scanned the foreign white room. A young girl of pale skin and small stature sat in a dark corner, and shifted her weight (what little she had) from side to side. A black patch covered one of the red orbs that had been there once before, but had been marred with a past hardship that no one could solve. The girl just stared into the blank walls, in a cataleptic state, while many other small children ran around her, having fun and paying no heed to the fact that she stood there, all but one.  
  
"Matron" A small boy with corn-silk hair tugged on the robe of a rather tall woman dressed in drab costume.  
  
"Matron, she won't move. What's wrong wit her?" He pulled her over to the girl, but stood far enough back as not to scare her.  
  
"She's just scared sweetie. She's just been through a bad experience."  
  
"A bad ex..per..ience?"  
  
"That means that some one did something very bad to hurt her."  
  
"Is that why she's got that thing on 'er eye?" He stared at the black patch, with a frightened expression on his bronzed face.  
  
"Yes honey, some one hurt her very badly, some one very mean." She ran her slender fingers through the boy's hair, and looked down at his puzzled face.  
  
"Where are her mommy and daddy?" He looked up to the woman, his emerald eyes connecting with her violet.  
  
"They are gone, just like all of the children here Seifer, just like you, and Squall, and Quisty. But I will take care of her, don't you worry. Just like I watch after you." With that, the boy smiled and stopped with his serious questions.  
  
"Is it ok if I asks her to play?"  
  
"Well, yes. But I'm afraid she won't understand. She doesn't speak our language honey." Suddenly there was a loud, piercing scream from outside. Matron looked out the window, to see that Quistis had fallen off of a tire- swing, and had fallen on the ground. A large group of children were surrounding her, and trying to console her, but she only wanted Matron.  
  
"Oh dear! Seifer honey, you stay here, okay? I'll be right back." She hurried off outside to rescue the sobbing child.  
  
Seifer then turned to the small pale form standing in the shadows of the room. He inched closer, and put the largest grin that he could form on his face.  
  
"Hi! My names Seifer! What's yours?" The sudden attention made her flinch a little, and she turned her gaze to the colorful boy in front of her. She looked away hurriedly, and glanced nervously around the room.  
  
"It's ok! I'm not gonna hurt you. I want to be your friend!" He still received no response from the girl. So he walked over and stood beside her.  
  
"What are ya looking at?" He rocked back and forth briskly on his feet, and observed the wall with her.  
  
She reluctantly turned to him, and spoke softly, he almost didn't hear. "Fujin" she said, pointing to herself. She then turned her gaze back to the wall, and settled herself on the floor, uttering another phrase.  
  
"Natas koricna baiyed faprito me groyer, Rajin." A tear slid down her face, and she continued staring at the wall.  
  
"What? I don't know what you're sayin'. Is your name Rajin?"  
  
The girl looked to him in confusion, and he pointed a finger to himself. "Seifer" he said, sounding out each syllable, and then he pointed to her "Rajin?" He questioned. "My name is Seifer, and your name is Rajin?"  
  
A small smile appeared on the pale girls face, and she shook her head to- and-fro, and she placed a hand on her chest and repeated him. "Name...Fujin." She smiled and then touched his foot "Name, Se..if..er." She appeared very proud that she was starting to communicate.  
  
"Yeah, that's right! You did it!" He offered her his hand, and motioned to the door with the other. "Want to go outside Fujin?" He emphasized the newfound word, his small mouth curving into a playful smile.  
  
Excited emerald eyes met that of a reluctant ruby, and a small pale hand clasped with bronze, small digits encircling. The pair, color of the sun and the moon, walked out into the play yard.  
  
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Matron wrapped her long fingers absently around a mug of coffee, as she flipped through a file or records. She let out a weighted sigh.  
  
"Cid, I've been trying to find out for weeks where she came from, and why she's so sullen. But the hospital says they've never seen her there before, only that one time a few weeks ago. I just don't understand, she didn't appear out of nowhere. Some one must know something about her."  
  
She set the file down, with a hint of frustration, and a man with light brown hair and thick glasses wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"Edea, for Hyne's sake, you need to stop obsessing over this. Wait until the girl can speak English, and then try to find out about her. It shouldn't take too long, what with a certain someone's sudden interest in her."  
  
His voice faded off with a chuckle, as he looked out the window, and saw Seifer pulling the poor girl around during his daily ritual of chasing bugs. She surprisingly didn't try to run away, like the other children, she followed him obediently, looking inquisitively as he pointed out a new species (such as 'a big ugly green guy' or 'a red one with lotsa legs and dots').  
  
"He's been so curious about her for some reason, drawn like a moth to a flame." Cid continued to watch the two, as they ran through the tall grasses of the Centra continent. He turned back to his wife "A lot like someone else I know." Edea just smiled and stood beside him. "I'm sorry, it just puzzles me that some one would do such a thing to a child, let alone such a brilliant one. She's already starting to speak our language, and she's only been here a week."  
  
She smiled as she saw Seifer kneel down and gently grab a butterfly off of a long blade of grass, and place it on Fujin's shoulder. The little girl smiled and made wing motions with her hands, and mouthed a word to Seifer, most likely the word for butterfly in her language.  
  
"Well, it won't be long until she jabbers like the rest of them. I have a feeling Seifer will help her with that. I'm glad to see he finally made a good friend here, how long has it been, 1 year since Zell was adopted?"  
  
"No, almost two. He was only five when Zell left, and his birthday was more than seven months ago. I'm glad he's finally found a friend in someone here, I was starting to think that he was emotionless." She watched the boy laugh as Fujin covered his eyes with her small hands and walked him blindly over to a small flower garden, where a praying mantis perched on the brush.  
  
"I have a feeling we will discover her mystery soon Edea, at least Seifer will." Cid kissed his wife in the cheek, and walked towards the door, picking up a leather briefcase. "I'm going to meet with NORG now, to finalize the plans for Garden. I will be back around 8:00, I promise."  
  
"Alright Cid, but its on your head if the children get upset when you return to late for their bedtime story."  
  
"I will be back by eight, I promise, I'm going to be late Edea, you know how important these meetings are, and this will hopefully be the last one, for a while anyway. If I don't do this, the lives of these children, our lives, and every human in this world will be in danger."  
  
"I know Cid, I guess it's just still hard to accept sometimes.after the last war and all I.Well never mind that now, we'll discuss it later. Good luck honey.  
  
"Thanks, I'll need it! See you later!" He yelled as he walked out the door.  
  
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Four years later:  
  
Raindrops fell on the tin roof like tiny balls of metal, and rolled off into a muddy ditch on the ground, made from previous storms. Bright bolts of lighting went streaking through the sky, with luminous purple outlines that made them seem like they appeared from an idealistic painting. The thunder clapped loudly as it echoed through the night sky. All of the children were safely snug in their beds, nestled under blankets of pleasant dreams, all but one.  
  
The young girl quietly padded through the dark corridor leading to the boy's bedroom. She turned her platinum head both ways to make sure no one was coming, and cautiously opened the door. She peered her head around the corner, and spotted who she was looking for. Seifer was sleeping peacefully in the bed adjacent another young boy, Irvine Kinneas. She walked over to Seifer's bed slowly, her small feet creeping across the antique boards of the Oceanside home. Her pale hand hesitantly shook the boy's shoulder, and he jumped up with a start. He was glad to see that it was only his pale comrade. She looked at him angrily, and motioned for him to hurry up. "C'mon, and be quiet." He whispered, as he stood and lead her out of the room. They walked into a large living room, and stood in front of a pair of sliding glass doors.  
  
"Do we have to do this Fujin? Look, it's raining really hard! Can't we just go back to bed?" Seifer rubbed his eyes lazily, and yawned.  
  
"Oh just be quiet! You promised me you'd come! You're not gonna break your promise are you?"  
  
He looked over to her, and rolled his eyes. "Fine, but if we get caught, it's gonna be all your fault!"  
  
"Have we ever been caught before?" She snapped beck, with a matter-of-fact tone in her voice. "Now lets get going."  
  
Fujin opened the door, and both ran out into the storm. The lightning and the thunder were crashing, particularly loud on this stormy evening. The droplets of rain beat against the tin roof of the orphanage, and soaked the children running blind through the chaos. They ran into the old lighthouse, which was strictly forbidden for them to enter, and rested for a moment against the musty wooden walls.  
  
"You still haven't told me why we do this EVERY time there's a storm. I'm gonna stop doing it if you don't tell me soon." Fujin just shook her head, and started toward the spiral staircase in front of them.  
  
"If you don't wanna be here, then leave. Go ahead, break your promise, see if I care." She stuck her tongue out at him, and ran up the stairs. Seifer looked around the dark room, realizing that he was alone in an extremely creepy place.  
  
"Fujin! Wait for me!" He ran up the staircase after her, being smothered by cobwebs that had most likely been there for centuries. When he reached the top, he saw his platinum friend in her usual spot, right on top of the light, staring out to the eastern coast of their island. Her eyes seemed to be searching for something, as they always did when they came here. He scaled the large object also, and planted himself tiredly beside her.  
  
"Ya know how dangerous this is? Matron says that lighting is attracted to metal, and we're sittin' right on top of a great big pile of it, right in the middle of the sky." He looked around nervously, and received a nudge in the ribs from his friend.  
  
"What, are you scared?" She laughed as he rubbed the spot where she elbowed him.  
  
"No, I'm not scared. I'm never scared. I live for danger." He made a point by standing up, making himself closer to the heavens. "See, I'm not scared of anything." He looked out across the sky, wondering when the next bolt of lightning would hit.  
  
"Seifer, watch out!" Fujin shouted, causing him to jump back down to where he was seated before. "What! What happened?!" He covered his head with his hands, as if trying to shield himself from the electrical shock. It wasn't until he completely regained composure, that he noticed Fujin laughing hysterically. He shot an angry glare up to her, and rolled over, his face flushed with a deep crimson.  
  
"Yeah.I knew you were joking.I was just pretending." He stammered, still in shock.  
  
"Uh-huh, sure you were." Fujin laughed a little, as her eyes went back to the coast. Her crimson orbs searched the vacant darkness, and disappointedly, came back to settle on her friend. "I'm sorry Seifer, you're just so scared of the dark and stuff, and you're too easy to pick on." She offered him a friendly smile, and he smiled back.  
  
"Well now you owe me." He said, motioning to the great building they were sitting on. "What is all of this about? You have to tell me, or I'm gonna leave, I promise I will." He said the last of his sentence in a girly tone, mocking their earlier conversation.  
  
She just sighed and looked back out to the coast. "I'm not sure if I can explain it, or if you will understand, or even if I understand..." Her voice faded off, and Seifer placed his ashen hand on her shoulder "Just try." He said in as friendly of a tone as he could. He was growing impatient with her.  
  
"Well, in my old village, I remember sitting around one of these huge fires that we used to have. Everyone was laughing and happy. I'm always happy when I remember those times." She looked over to Seifer and smiled. "I would sit with my brother and parents, and listen to the older people tell stories about our village. One day, the village leader told a story of a Hytation child getting lost in the woods, that's a person from my tribe."  
  
"Hytation? You guys have some funny names."  
  
"Not nearly as funny as Seifer!" She yelled defensively. "Anyway, the child ran away from home, and when he decided that he wanted to come back, he couldn't find his way. He ran through the woods for days, meeting strange creatures, almost dying, really scary things happened to him. One day, he found a white house, like this" she pointed down at the large white structure. " 'A house as white as bone with a large fire on the roof', back then, we didn't know that they were called a lighthouses. The boy stood on the roof, and ran the light across the coast, searching for home. He spotted another fire burning brightly in the distance, the fire of our village. He used our village fire signals to make contact, and was rescued. It was my favorite story, because it was true. The elder brought us down to the coast, just a little ways from our village, and there was a lighthouse just like this across from us. He told us that if we ever lost our way, or wandered too far away from home, to watch for a lighthouse. He said that the lighthouse's light would burn brightest on stormy nights, like this. So if figured if I came up here."  
  
"Maybe you would see home?" Seifer questioned.  
  
"Yeah, I guess that's it, kinda silly huh?" She chuckled a little, and looked back out to the dark stretches of land under the night sky.  
  
"No, it's not silly, I just don't understand. Don't you like it here Fujin? Why would you want to leave?"  
  
"I don't want to leave Seifer, I just want to see my brother again, that's all. I want to know if he is alive."  
  
"Can you remember what happened? How you came here?" He questioned curiously. Strange, how he was just finding out about her past four years after he met her.  
  
"Of course I do. How could anyone forget something so terrible." She wiped a tear from her eye, all of this reminiscing was getting to her.  
  
"Why don't we save that for another storm, huh? Lets go back inside." Sensing that he had gone far enough for one night, he pulled his friend to her feet, and both ran back inside, out of the rain.  
  
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An old man and a rather large young boy walked cautiously through a clearing in the woods. Ashes surrounded them, particles that were once houses of family and friend that the boy knew. He went to the fire that another man was building, and sat down on a nearby rock.  
  
"It's okay instructor Aki. You don't have to. There's no one left that will answer. I just wanted to see it once more, ya know?"  
  
The age-tainted man looked at the boy sadly, and put away the fire spell he was going to use.  
  
"I'm sorry Rajin, it looks as if this place has been deserted for quite a while. There isn't even one sign that some one has been living here since the war."  
  
"I know, I didn't think there would be, I just had'ta make sure, ya know. I just wanted to make sure that they were gone before I forgot about em'." The boy looked sadly around the old deserted village, and ran his cinnamon colored hand over the rocks beside him.  
  
"This is where we used to sit instructor. My family and I, right here. I miss em' ya know?" The boy stood up, and walked toward a burnt pile of rubble. He ran his fingers through thick black ashes, hoping to find an artifact of his past.  
  
"And this was our old house." He smiled, remembering his not so distant past.  
  
"HEY AKI, RAJIN!" Another man, in his late twenties yelled over to the two "YOU SHOULD COME SEE THIS VIEW!!" Instructor Aki sighed, and stood, looking at Rajin.  
  
"And this man is supposed to become a political leader. He's so daft, I can't imagine placing him as the president of Esther. Official tour guide and the leader of a country, what a combination."  
  
The instructor and the boy chuckled, as they walked down a path to the ocean's sandy shore. A man with long black hair stood on the coast, smiling.  
  
"Well, mister Loire, what have you found for us this time? An exclusively rare breed of pine cone, or the elusive forest tree?" The instructor laughed sarcastically. But the man just ignored him, lost in his own little world of nature.  
  
"Nothing like a night on the Centra continent!" He laughed. "Too bad it's raining though, can't see a damn thing through all of these clouds, nothing but the lighthouse of the old orphanage anyway!"  
  
"Lighthouse?" Rajin questioned, as he looked through the night sky.  
  
"Yeah sure, see that light across the way, that's the lighthouse near Cid Kramer's orphanage, you know, the Commander of Garden." "Yeah, I know who Cid is, I go to Garden, ya know." Rajin searched faintly across the sky, and spotted the lighthouse. And old memory seeped into his head, and he jumped into the air with a giant grin on his face.  
  
"Mr. Loire, you may be the smartest guy I've ever met, ya know? C'mon! We have to go to that orphanage!"  
  
"Why thank you young man, I don't believe any one's ever said that to me before!" Laguna Loire smiled, as he positioned himself in an arrogant stance.  
  
"Trust me Mister Loire, he's caught in the moment."  
  
"Wha?"  
  
"Never mind, can you take us to that orphanage?" Instructor Aki let the words slip slowly from his mouth, trying to make it easier for the man before him to understand.  
  
"Yeah, sure, I know the way! Follow me!" Laguna ran off to the left.  
  
"EXCUSE ME! MISTER LOIRE!" Rajin yelled after Laguna. The man stopped dead in his tracks.  
  
"YES!!" He yelled back.  
  
"THE CAR IS THIS WAY, YA KNOW?!"  
  
"OHH! RIGHT!" He laughed, and ran up to the car, Rajin close behind him.  
  
"Why do I get the feeling that this will be a long trip." Instructor Aki sighed, and ran up to the car after them. ************************************************************************  
  
Well, what do you think?? To continue or not to continue, that is the question. Please, let me know!! 


	2. Who is HE?

All right people, the next chapter, woohoo! I have no idea how this story is going to play out, it's just a whim, but I'm content with what I have so far I suppose, so I'm going to continue. The language the Fujin speaks is not real, that was answering some ones question (I forget who, sorry!). Any way, thanks for the reviews!  
  
Chapter 2: Who is HE?  
  
Instructor Aki knocked hesitantly on the orphanage door. He didn't exactly know if what Rajin was looking for would be here. The poor boy had been so depressed; the only thing that he thought about was finding his sister, who mysteriously vanished on the night his village was burned. Come to think of it, it was a mystery why his village was destroyed, and what those men would want with a girl who quite frankly couldn't have had much importance in the world. Not that Aki didn't value human life, but he was positive that the child's parents couldn't pay a ransom, so why did they want her in the first place? Millions of doubts and questions surged through his mind, as he looked back to the young boy. His chocolate colored eyes connected with the instructors, and then he spoke.  
  
"Alright instructor, why are ya waitin', ya know?"  
  
"Rajin, I don't want you to get your hopes up. Even if they know her whereabouts, it doesn't mean that she will remember you, or that she is even alive. You were so young-"  
  
"Trust me instructor, I know. I just can't put my past behind me until I know, ya know what I mean?"  
  
"Sure Rajin, of course." Aki raised his hand to knock on the door, until he heard Laguna Loire speak up in back of him.  
  
"Ummm.you know what.. I think I'm going to go now.. this place.I know this place.I don't think I should be here." He stepped back nervously, and glanced around frantically.  
  
"Oh Hyne, I don't even want to know what you did to them, one can only imagine. Very well, meet us back at Garden for your pay."  
  
"Thank you Aki! Good luck with this whole family thing Rajin!" With that, Laguna ran off into the woods.  
  
"There is something seriously wrong with that man, ya know?"  
  
"Yes, defiantly. Well Rajin, shall we?" Rajin nodded, and instructor Aki knocked on the door.  
  
In moments, a beautiful woman opened the white washed door. She has on a deep purple dress, to match her electric violet eyes. Her beauty was almost mesmerizing. She raised her long slender fingers to her mouth to cover her awed expression.  
  
"Aki! My what a pleasure it is to see you! How long has it been, one, two years? My you haven't changed a bit!"  
  
"Nor have you Edea, you're still as beautiful as the day you and Cid were married. I had no idea you were running the orphanage."  
  
"I have been for years! I can't believe you didn't know! Well, any way, why have you come? And who is this young man behind you?" Rajin stepped foreword and offered the woman a toothy smile.  
  
"I'm Rajin Ms. Kramer. I go to Garden."  
  
"Oh call me Matron, all of the other children here do." She offered a warm smile back to him, and ushered them inside of the white building.  
  
"What can I do for you two?" She questioned, as she offered them a seat on a nearby couch.  
  
"Well Edea, Rajin here has some questions that he would like to ask you."  
  
"Questions? Really, well ask away young man."  
  
"Well, I was wondering if you can remember seeing, or even having a little girl show up here about 4 years ago? You probably haven't but I was just' wondering if-"  
  
"Why as a matter of fact, I did! Hyne, she was such a small thing, pale, a beautiful crimson eye, silver hair-"  
  
"Was her name Fujin? Where is she? Please tell me, ya know?"  
  
"Hold on, just a minute young man, her name is Fujin, and she's out with the other children playing in the fields. Just go look out the window, you will see her." Rajin jumped up from the sofa, and sped to the window, searching the grassy plains for a minuscule second, and he saw her pale form walking with a young boy, about his age.  
  
"Aki, what is this all about?" Edea questioned  
  
"Well, if what he says is true, this little girl is his sister. He claims to have grown up with her in a village not to far from here." Edea was so shocked from this new information that she could barely speak. She rose from her current position, and went to another door that lead to the fields.  
  
"FUJIN, SEIFER! COME INSIDE! QUICKLY!"  
  
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The pale girl and the boy, color of the sun, rolled and played happily in fields of golden wheat and grasses, not paying attention to anything or anyone but themselves. They were lost in a world of children's fantasies, pretending to act out knightly deeds form the days of yore. They ran and played briskly, until both were tired, and fell to the ground.  
  
"Fujin?" Seifer panted, as he rolled on his side and stared down at her. "If you don't mind, I will be your brother, because I don't have a sister either." The albino girl smiled up at him and took his hand in hers.  
  
"Really? Do you mean it?" He nodded and sat up, crossing his legs Indian- style.  
  
"Yup, and I'll never leave you, not like everyone else did Fuu, I'll be with you forever."  
  
Her smile widened, and she sat up next to him, kissing him quickly on the cheek. His cheeks grew a deep shade of magenta, and he wiped his cheek off with his hand.  
  
"Whaddya do that for?" He whined, as he looked away from her.  
  
"Cid and Edea do it all the time when they are really happy, and I'm really happy right now!" He looked back over, and a smile crept on his face.  
  
"Why do you have that goofy look on your face?" She asked, crinkling her nose at him.  
  
"It feels good to be happy." He smiled back at her, and quickly gave her a peck on the lips. They sat in silence for a moment, but then broke in laughter. "Let's finish our game!" Fujin shouted excitedly.  
  
"Now where were we?" He asked, still blushing  
  
"You were about to save the sorceress, me, from a dragon, like the one in that movie."  
  
"Oh yeah, I-" But he was cut off by a call from the house.  
  
"FUJIN, SEIFER! COME INSIDE, QUICKLY!"  
  
"Oh no, she sounds mad!" Fujin looked over at Seifer and frowned.  
  
"I didn't do anything this time, really!" His eyes grew wide as he thought about all of the bad things he had done that day.  
  
"Oh, lets go Seif!" And she ran swiftly to the house, with Seifer trailing close behind.  
  
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When the two were inside the door, they were both panting, and laughing, but Fujin soon stopped when she saw another boy standing before them. Her eyes began to water, as she walked closer to him. Not a word was spoken as t he boy outstretched a cinnamon colored hand to her, and she took it in her own great fully. They all stood staring for the longest time, with heavy silence passing between them. But it was soon broken.  
  
"Who is HE?" Seifer asked his green eyes filled with jealousy.  
  
"Goyer?" The word slipped from Fujin's lips shakily, as she scanned him with a hesitant eye.  
  
"Ryi Fusama, me goyana" he spoke back to her in their native tongue, and right away Seifer knew who he was.  
  
"Is that.her brother?" He asked sadly, as he stared hard at the odd boy.  
  
"Yes honey, this is Fujin's brother, Rajin. The one she lost a long time ago."  
  
"Yeah, I know who he is. An' I don't like him!" He shot back at Matron, not loud enough so that Rajin would hear, but loud enough for Matron to tap him roughly on the head.  
  
"Seifer! That's not true! You don't know him, I'm sure he is a very nice little boy, why don't all three of you go play?" Seifer was about to answer back, and most likely not a nice response, when Instructor Aki interrupted him.  
  
"Actually Edea, I have to be getting back to Garden, so there really isn't time for play. But I would like to discuss a certain matter with you. We obliviously have a situation now that they know each other. I would recommend that Rajin stay here at the orphanage, but he has already done a large amount of training at Garden, and I would hate to deprive him of such and education."  
  
"So what do you suggest Aki?"  
  
"I think that Fujin should come back to Garden with Rajin and I. I already cleared it with the Garden Faculty before we left, in case we did find her. It would be a shame to separate them now."  
  
"Well, it is a good opportunity, and I will end up sending all of my children there anyway I suppose. What do you think Fujin? Would you like to go to Garden with your brother?"  
  
Fujin looked to her brother, and then to Seifer, who was on the verge of tears. She stayed focused on him, but then looked to the ground. "Yes, I want to stay with my brother." She said I an emotionless tone.  
  
Tears started to fall down Seifer's face and he looked out the window, he had never felt this hurt before. "Go ahead! Leave me! I don't care!" He screamed, and he turned his back to her.  
  
"But I will only go, if my other brother can come, see I promised him that we'd be together forever, didn't I Seif. And I don't break promises." Seifer dried his eyes and walked over to Fujin "Really?" He asked her, hoping that she was talking about the right brother.  
  
"Really!" She answered back, and grabbed him into a tight hug.  
  
"Well Aki, do you think that it would be okay if both of the children could go, I'm sure if Cid pulled some strings-"  
  
"I'm sure it will be fine Edea, after all, you are the wife of the Headmaster."  
  
"Well then it's settled, Seifer, Fujin, go and pack your things."  
  
"I have a question!" Seifer shouted and pulled on Edea's dress. "Can you keep him here?" He snarled at the cinnamon colored boy, and Edea slapped one of his hands.  
  
"Seifer, just go and pack!" ************************************************************************  
  
Well, chapter 2 is done, sorry, I sort of rushed it : ( But any way if you feel like reviewing, please be my guest : ) I don't really know as if I like this chapter, but I've never claimed to be a great writer, so I guess it's not like I'm not meeting your expectations! Anyway, enough babbling, I will update soon! 


	3. Why Do They Think I'm Weird?

Authors Note: This is really a transitional chapter, and it was a tough one to write. You know how you have an idea, but you can't really get to it until you get some other basics out of the way? Well, this chapter is full of basics : ) . I have a feeling it will be semi-boring, but I am not a very good critic of my own writing, I always think it is VERY less than perfect. But hey, I'm getting reviews, so it can't be horrible, right? For those of you who have reviewed, thank you for your support! That is the only thing that actually keeps these chapters coming!  
  
Why Do They Think I'm Weird?:  
  
"Wow, it's beautiful!" Fujin exited the yellow rental car, followed by her two comrades. She stared at her new home; Garden, like it was a shrine to the wind goddess herself.  
  
"Looks like a huge Easter egg to me." Seifer mumbled, lifting up his suitcase, and getting ready to grab his pale friends luggage as well. But before he could move, a large cinnamon colored hand grabbed the tiny blue handle.  
  
"C'mon Fuu-sama! Le'me show ya around!" Seifer just glared at the large and awkward looking boy in disgust.  
  
"Okay, come on Seifer, let's get going.I can't wait to see this place!" And with that, they all ran off inside, Fujin and Rajin skipping along gaily, and Seifer sauntering close behind.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"Are you sure sir, there must be some mistake, I-"  
  
"SILENCE! There is no mistake! Do you think that my most trusted confidante would tell such a lie?"  
  
"Well no sir I didn't say-"  
  
"You know very well what you were going to say! How could you have let this happen? You assured me yourself that it was taken care of! What will I tell our allegiance? That our elite forces could not capture and destroy a mere child? Our budget will surely be cut!"  
  
"Dr. Sylvine, I swear to the great Hyne, she was dead! I saw it with my own eyes!"  
  
"Is it possible that you were mistaken Martine? Could it perhaps have been the wrong child?"  
  
The young man sat silent, and pondered for a moment, and then meekly answered.  
  
"It is possible that she could have lived doctor. There was so much chaos, it really could have been any one of those children that we.I suppose our soldiers could have missed one, but what are the chances that it was her?"  
  
"Martine, my dear friend," The older man settled down next to the younger on a faded blue couch. "I know that it was a mistake, an not entirely your fault mind you. But if you can't take my orders specifically, I'm afraid all you will ever be is my apprentice, or which ever doctor I appoint after I am gone. I'll have to hand my job over to some incompetent weasel, like Odine for instance. Please, don't let it come down to that, for there is no other man I would rather share all of my knowledge with than you."  
  
"I know doctor, but I'm not sure I deserve such an honor. I think I may have started another slaughter."  
  
"That is where you are wrong." The old doctor stood, and walked to his desk, where he removed an envelope from his drawer. He stepped slowly towards his fireplace, and cast the envelope into the flames.  
  
"If no one else know who she is besides us three and the instructor, what harm is it to keep her alive. We can always fix our little mistake in the future if it begins to start problems."  
  
"Yes sir, I suppose so. I'd hate to let the situation get worse than it already is."  
  
"Right then!" The old man grabbed his dark cloak off of the couch, and made his way swiftly to the door. "Make sure this is clear to Odine and the instructor, I don't want this secret to leave us. Although I have a feeling that in due time, it will be known."  
  
"Yes sir, I will let them know." With that, the old man nodded, and left the dark room. Martine rested his head in his hands and sighed.  
  
"This can't be good." ************************************************************************  
  
"Wow Fujin, look at this place! It's huge!" The trio had finally made it inside past all of the security guards and the million flights of stairs. Seifer set his suitcase down on the floor and looked around the building. There were so many students, old and young, it was almost overwhelming to see so many people all at once. Fujin winced as three people went running right towards her, as if they didn't even notice she was there. Seifer and Rajin quickly grabbed each one of her shoulders and pulled her back.  
  
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it. It's a busy place, ya know. You guys want me to show you to the headmaster's office? He'll give ya you're room number and a list of yer classes. Don't worry, ya don't hafta go until tomorrow."  
  
"S-sure" Fujin stammered, as she watched all of the people around her. It was odd coming from a place where you lived with about six people, to a place that seemed there were six thousand.  
  
"You alright Fuu? I know this place is a little weird, but we'll get used to it, right?" Seifer ushered her along behind Rajin, as he lead them up a flight of stairs to an elevator. He pressed a button that said "Level 2" and waited patiently for the elevator doors to open. Once all three were inside, he explained to them where to go.  
  
"Alright, now the second floor is where the class rooms are, that's where I'm going, can't be late, ya know? The third floor is where you wanna go, that's where headmaster Cid is. You just press the 'Level 3' button, and head straight in through the double doors. Easy huh? The headmaster will give ya all of your instructions and room numbers and stuff. Then he'll let you walk around and find everything, and you'll start classes tomorrow." The elevator doors opened with an annoying ding, much like a tiny bell, and Rajin stepped out of the elevator. "I'll meet you guys right after classes in the Cafeteria, around 4:00, alright? Good luck with finding everything, later!" He waved goodbye and ran down the hall.  
  
"This place is really big Seifer, I think we're gonna get lost."  
  
"Nah, I saw this thing downstairs that shows you where all of the rooms are. I guess you're brother forgot to tell us about that, huh Fuu?" Seifer pushed the button for the third floor, and smiled smugly.  
  
"Why are you saying it like that?" Fujin questioned, and glared at him with her crimson eye. "You've been sorta mean to mean to me ever since we met Rajin, don't you like him Seif?"  
  
He was about to answer her question, but the elevator doors chimed open, revealing the entrance to the headmaster's office. Seifer and Fujin stepped out hesitantly, and opened the huge oak doors. The office was rather dull and dreary, with books and papers scattered all over a large desk. A man with fading brown hair stood up and greeted them with a giant smile.  
  
"Seifer, Fujin! Welcome to Garden! I'm so happy to see new faces in this place! We haven't really had a lot of room for new students, so you are very lucky you are being admitted so late into the quarter. Well don't just stand there you two, come in, sit down. I'm sure you are anxious to get started!"  
  
Both of the children nodded in unison, and Cid smiled at them warmly. It was odd that such a nice man was the leader of a ruthless corporation that killed for money; you never would have guessed that Garden was Cid's idea.  
  
"Good, good. First of all, we'll start with room numbers. Unfortunately, you two will share the same quarters. We don't usually allow this sort of thing, but there is no room left in Garden to accommodate you two separate rooms, and instead of putting you with complete strangers of a different sex, we figured we would put you together. So you are rooming in the boy's hall, number 67, and you each have your own separate room inside; you can choose which ever you want." Cid handed each one a key to their room, and then continued to speak.  
  
"Second on the agenda, choice of weapon." He reached into a drawer in his desk, and pulled out two books. "These books have information on all of the weapons we supply you at Garden, I want you to review this and see which you think best suits you, and show your instructor tomorrow. Of course, your instructor may suggest that you use a different one, so there isn't a one hundred percent chance that you will get the one that you want". Cid then picked up two boxes from underneath his desk, and handed them to them.  
  
"Now, inside these boxes are your personal Laptops. Your class schedules are stored inside, have your friend Rajin show you how to access them. There are all you will need as of now for your studies. I think that just about covers everything.lets see." He bent over a list on his desk and looked back up at them over his glasses. "Oh yes, I forgot to mention the GF's"  
  
"GF's sir? What are those?" Seifer asked. The smirk on Cid's face was getting the little boy very interested in the subject.  
  
"GF is short for Guardian Force. It's a special sort of magic we have hooked up to a computer program, it is still being tested by the older students, but we were going to give all of the younger students one next quarter. Since you are here though, why not assign a GF to you. Just a moment please."  
  
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a yellow aura surrounded both of the scared children and it surged around their bodies like a hurricane.  
  
"Ah, just as I suspected. Fujin, you're most effective magic is wind, so I will assign you Pandemona. And Seifer.hmm.I believe your most effective magic is fire, so for now I will assign you Ifrit, but I have a feeling it will modify itself into something more intense." Cid then handed them both what appeared to be computer discs. "Just show these to your instructors, they will tell you how to use them. Now I think that covers all of the essentials. If you have questions, feel free to stop by at any time. I'm sorry this was so rushed, but I have a meeting to attend. Have a lovely first day at Garden!"  
  
And as quickly as they had come into the room, they were rushed back out into the elevator.  
  
"Did you catch any of that Fuu?" Seifer blinked, in a confused state.  
  
"Umm yeah, only the instructors know what they are doing. Cid didn't really explain anything to us." Seifer nodded in agreement and hit the button for the first floor.  
  
"You think we're gonna like it here Fujin? I don't know if I'll like any place more than the orphanage."  
  
"I don't think I will either, but as long as I have you and Rajin, I would like it anywhere I went."  
  
The pale girl shifted her weight so that her bag was less heavy, and exited the elevator when it reached the first floor. The pair made their way down to the directory on the first floor, and tried to find which way the dorm rooms were.  
  
"If we head left, then we should see the sign right after the cafeteria. They walked all the way to their room in silence, as they saw all of the students around them were staring. Seifer really didn't understand why, until he heard another boy their age whisper to one of his friends. 'Why does she have her eye covered up?' His friend answered back with a disgusted look on his face 'I don't know, but she looks like a freak to me.' Seifer looked over to Fujin anxiously to see if she had noticed, but she was too busy concentrating on which way their room was. Luckily, they found the right hallway quick and got inside before he heard anyone else say anything.  
  
"Hey Seifer, which one do you want?" She asked, and she set her bag on the floor.  
  
"I'll take the one on the right I guess"  
  
"Ok, lest un-pack, I can't wait to see this place!" ************************************************************************  
  
After they had run all over Garden, finding their first classes and where everything was located, Seifer and Fujin decided to take Cid's advice and look at get some information on weapons in the library. Seifer immediately protested, but Fujin dragged him along. They grabbed through what seemed like hundreds of magazines, and sat down at a huge table, the process had begun at 1:00..  
  
2 hours and 15 minutes later:  
  
"FUJIN! Can't we just go now, I'm sick of this!"  
  
Seifer whined, as sheer boredom practically seduced him into a deep slumber. "We can just pick one for now, I wanna go and get something to eat!" He picked up an old issue of "Weapon's Monthly" and flipped through the pages with attitude.  
  
"NO! We have to pick one that we really like, and we're eating with Rajin at four, remember?"  
  
"Oh.yeah.almost forgot" he groaned in an irritated manner, and turned the pages of the magazine even faster. Until one odd looking weapon drew his attention. It was sleek and strong looking, a sword and gun combined; he had never seen anything like it before. His emerald eyes focused on it, as if contemplating the sheer mechanics of it.  
  
"Hey, Fuu, look at this thing!" Seifer excitedly held the picture up to her. She nodded in agreement.  
  
"What's it called?" She craned her neck to try and read the words.  
  
"It's a Gunblade, pretty cool huh?" He smirked, and then held the book triumphantly. "This is the one I'm gonna use, I don't care what the instructors say. I want this one."  
  
"This stinks, I still haven't found one yet! And I'm the one who wanted to look for them!" Fujin whined and threw down her magazine. Seifer started to look through his magazine again until he found a decent looking weapon. He held up the picture to her, and asked for her approval.  
  
"How bout this one Fuu? It's really cool; it's called a Shruiken. Just use this one for now, and if you don't like it or the instructors don't, I bet they'll change it, besides, it's three-thirty, we have to meet Rajin soon."  
  
"Ok, fine, lets go. But If I don't like that one, it's all your fault Seifer!"  
  
"Fine, let's just get out of here!" They both stood and walked out of the library.  
  
"Never had to do this much reading at Matron's." ************************************************************************  
  
When the pair finally made their way to the cafeteria (after going by it and walking all around Garden twice), it was 3:50. They sauntered in and sat down at an empty table, which was surrounded by other students, mainly loud an obnoxious ones. The two that Seifer had seen talking about Fujin before were sitting at a table to the right of theirs. The noticed Seifer and his pale friend walk in, and laughed as they took their seats. Seifer just ignored them, trying not to let Fujin notice.  
  
'Why would people laugh at Fuu?' He thought, as he pulled his lunch card that all of the student's are supplied with out of his pocket. 'She's just like everyone else.' It was then that he looked around the room, and noticed that she wasn't like everyone else. There were no other pallid, eye- patch wearing children anywhere else in that room. He began to realize why they were laughing.  
  
"Hey Seif?" He had been broken out of his train of thought. Fujin tugged on the sleeve of his shirt.  
  
"Y-yeah" He stammered, as if he was worried she could read his mind. "You wanna go and get me a soda? I don't want Rajin to come in and not see us sitting down in here. She handed him her card, and he mumbled under his breath as he looked around at the people surrounding them, and stood to get in line.  
  
'It's not like she's scary or stupid looking, so why would they be mean? Just cuz she's different than they are, that doesn't sound fair.'  
  
He waited for what felt like forever, but finally he got to the head of the line, and ordered a soda for Fujin, and some onion rings for himself. He was just about to grab his food when a student behind him shouted "HEY LOOK EVERYONE! FIGHT!" everyone in the cafeteria stopped what they were doing and tried to see who was fighting whom. Seifer got extremely nervous once he noticed that the attention was directed toward his table. He left his food on the counter and ran to where he left his friend. By the time he made it there, a huge crowd was forming a circle around the combatants. Seifer Jumped up and down trying to see what was happening but opted to force his way through the crowd instead. He spotted his bulky bronze friend, towering over the boy who Seifer had seen laughing moments ago.  
  
"Yo! If I eva catch ya sayin' that again, I'll break your neck, ya know?!!!"  
  
The boy had blood all over his face and his clothes, and a severely contemptuous demeanor. He wiped the blood that was running down his chin away roughly, and stood up. "Some day, you're gonna regret you did that, you little punk." He paused and stared down at Rajin, and then looked to Seifer, who was now standing in the center of the crowd next to Rajin.  
  
"Psh, c'mon guys, lest go, I don't have time to play games with these children right now, but trust me, I'll pay you back soon enough." And with that, he and his gang walked out of the cafeteria.  
  
"Who the hell is that?" Seifer asked as he glared at the arrogant student.  
  
"He's an upperclassmen, Kurt Malgory. He's the meanest guy in Garden, not the strongest, but the meanest."  
  
"Hmm." Seifer nodded, and then looked around for his other friend. "Where's Fuu?"  
  
"Oh, man! She ran outta here right when he was sayin' stuff to her. I don't know what he said exactly, but he made her cry, so I socked him one, a good one too!" He smiled triumphantly, and Seifer laughed.  
  
'Maybe he's not so bad after all', he thought, as he tried to think of what to do next.  
  
"Well, I think we should look for her, you take the left, I'll take the right, we'll meet back at the entrance of the dorms, ok?"  
  
"Alright, ya know! But after that I'm gonna get some food, I'm starving!"  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Fujin rubbed the salty tears off of her face with shaking hands. She plopped down next to one of the parked cars, a black one that was owned by one of the instructors. She glanced to the side and saw her reflection within the black paint. Her eye was red an inflamed, her face was tainted with red streaks, and her platinum hair was disheveled. He contorted her face into and snarled as she threw the black eye patch off of her head.  
  
'Ha, you look so weird'  
  
'Yeah, almost as ugly as a monster!'  
  
'You make me sick just lookin' at you!'  
  
'I lost my appetite now!'  
  
'Why don't you go eat in the training center with the grats?'  
  
'You look like a monster'  
  
'MONSTER'  
  
The boy's comments echoed through her mind, as she whirled away from the reflection. She began to cry harder, and crawled up into a tight little ball.  
  
"Why am I ugly? Why do I look like this?" She started to sob harder now, and she slowly sank down to lay on the black pavement.  
  
"I'm a monster." She whispered faintly, staring off into the lighted tunnel that leads to the exit. "Maybe I will leave here, and never come back. Wouldn't they like that, if I disappeared?"  
  
She heard light footsteps behind her, and jumped up off the ground to see who it was. The figure was hidden in the shadows, but when it noticed that she knew of it's presence, the silhouette apprehensively approached her.  
  
"Hey Fuu." A voice said nervously. She recognized him right away; no one else in the world sounded anything like him.  
  
"Hey Seif" She sat back down on the tar, and pulled her knees up to her chest. Seifer approached her slowly, and slid down next to her.  
  
"So.um.Rajin socked that guy for ya, he got em' good. He won't bother you again, not for a while anyway."  
  
"That's nice." She said quietly, and turned away from him, trying not to cry anymore.  
  
"Seifer?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Do I look like a monster?" She turned to him, revealing her face; her eye patch was missing, which revealed a horrible scar. Seifer had never seen it before, the marred flesh that always hid under the black bandage of shame. He was almost taken aback by the sudden surprise. His emerald eyes focused on the imperfection for a brief moment, but then he smiled and put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"No Fujin, you don't look like a monster. That Kurt guy's just a jerk, him and his friends just think your weird, so they wanted to be mean to you, that's all."  
  
"Yeah but Seifer, why do they think I'm weird? I'm just like everyone else." She turned her gaze to the floor, and started to cry again.  
  
"Well, you're not weird Fujin, you just look different than most people, that's not weird. There are plenty of people who don't look the same as everyone else." She sighed heavily, and then stared off into space.  
  
"I don't want to be different Seifer, I don't like it. People are mean and they stare at me, they did it all day today. I just want them to leave me alone!" She started to sob again, and Seifer pulled her closer.  
  
"Aww Fuu! Don't cry! We just gotta figure something out that'll make em' scared of you, all of them. That way they won't say anything about you again. We just need to get you really strong and tough so that none of em' will mess with you, and if they do, you can punch them yourself, alright?" Seifer waited for a response, but none came.  
  
"Fujin, trust me, it'll work, none of the boys will bother you, because they won't wanna get beat up by a girl!" She laughed a little, and turned to him with a big smile on her face.  
  
"You promise Seifer? You'll make it so no one's mean to me again?"  
  
"I promise, swear to Hyne! Now, Rajin's for us outside the dorms, let's go!" He stood up and pulled her to her feet. "Ya know what? He's really a cool guy, for punching that kid, even though he's really annoying and stuff."  
  
"Seifer, he is not!" She kicked him lightly in the shin, and started to walk away.  
  
"Hey what was that for?" He yelled after her, but she didn't reply.  
  
"Man, this may have been a bad idea."  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Ok, so I know this chapter wasn't that great at all, but I just had to get this stuff out of the way before I could get into the good stuff. So it was really long and boring, and maybe confusing, but it will all come together, I PROMISE.  
  
~*PA*~ 


	4. More Rain

A/N: Wow, chapter four finally up! Bet you thought it would never come! Well I hope you enjoy it!  
  
Chapter Four: More Rain  
  
Five Years Later:  
  
Seifer stood outside of Balamb Garden, finishing off his last cigarette. He savored the jolt of nicotine that he had been giving his system ever since he had arrived back at Garden and received his results. Seifer had taken the Seed test, and failed miserably. Since Quistis Trepe had so smugly approached him and told him to try harder next time, he had smoked two packs of the cancer sticks.  
  
'I still don't see where they came up with all of those fucking demerits.' He flicked some of the hot ashes onto the grass of the Balamb plains.  
  
'Disobeying orders. Insubordination of squad leader.blah blah. Like I'm supposed to listen to that conceited pansy fuck Kurt Malgory. He couldn't even lead us out of a wet paper bag. Besides, I'm the more experienced cadet, I should have been the leader.' He rolled the cigarette between his fingers absentmindedly, and drew it back to his lips. He inhaled deeply, and released the smoke slowly.  
  
'If Aki was still around, he would have been our support for the mission, and I would have passed, but no, made sure they gave me that prick Malachi, the decrepit eighty year old who pretends to know what the fuck he's talking about. He wanted me to fail, no matter what.'  
  
With his cigarette almost gone, Seifer regrettably took one last breath and snuffed it under his boot.  
  
'Damn, I'm not going to get anymore of those until that janitor gets back from Fisherman's Horizon. Garden messes up my entire life. First they fail me, and now they caused me to smoke away my chance at sanity for a few days. Oh well, Fuu and Rajin want me to quit anyway.'  
  
The skies had become dark with thick gray clouds, and a booming thunder rolled in the distance. Seifer heard the gates out front close, and then a loud bell sound off. It was only eight o'clock, and already the Garden was getting ready for the nightly lock-down. Seifer glanced at his watch, and then out to the ocean in from of him.  
  
'May as well stay for a while, I know Rajin'll leave the window unlocked. I don't want to go back into that giant neon Easter egg anyway. I'll be damned if all of those stupid bastards get the chance to ask me If I passed or not. I'll blow up for sure.'  
  
He stared off into the distance, and suddenly felt a light sprinkle of rain fall onto his head. He sighed, exasperatedly, and sat down on a rock that was tented by a few trees. 'Not only do I have the Garden shitting on me, now I've got the sky torturing me too.'  
  
He laid his head in his hands, and ran them through his golden hair. His mind wandered from his troubles, and a smile crept to his lips.  
  
'I can't see why Fujin loves rain so much, it's fucking wet and cold.'  
  
He suddenly sat up straight and looked back to the Garden entrance. He has been so engulfed in his own thoughts; he hadn't waited to see how Fujin did. This was their first Seed test, himself, Quistis Trepe, and Fujin. They had been the youngest ever to partake in a Seed test. It was mainly the junior and senior cadets that participated. Seifer had just barely turned sixteen, and Fujin fifteen, they had been the underdogs of the operation from the get-go.  
  
'She had to pass; there wasn't anyone in her squad that could have messed up her chance, besides she has more talent than any of them. We were the only ones there our age, so that means we have more potential than the rest.'  
  
A bolt of lighting went streaking through the sky, and somewhere off in the deep void of the ocean, hit the water. Seifer watched the spectacle with wonder, as the sky lit up brightly. He smiled again and stood from his spot on the rock, and stretched his tired arms.  
  
'Storms are a funny thing. They can be so deadly, and beautiful all at once. Sort of like someone I know.' His smile grew wider and he shook his head, dismissing the thought.  
  
'Don't even take it there Almasy, those thoughts have rejection written all over them. Besides, Fujin can't even stand me as a friend, how would she take boyfriend? She'd probably jump off a cliff.' The smile vanished and he crossed his arms over his chest, and his body slouched into a defeated stance. Suddenly the rain fell harder, and the trees no longer sheltered him. He just scowled and covered his head with his white trench coat.  
  
'It's not like I can help loving her though, she just so-' He froze and shook his head again. 'No, not love, where did that word come from.' He rubbed his temples with his rain-soaked hands.  
  
'Love is stupid anyway. Why would I want to get into something like that? I wouldn't. No way, no how, not Seifer Almasy, imagine me in love. Ridiculous, completely and utterly ridiculous, I don't even know why such a thought crossed my mind.'  
  
"SEIFER!" His musings were interrupted as a familiar voice broke his concentration. He observed a pale figure in the distance jogging towards him, platinum hair being soaked by the falling rain. Fujin quickened her pace, clad in her Seed cadet uniform; she must have just gotten back from her test recently. She approached him with a wide smile gracing her pallid face, and Seifer instantly felt weak. 'Now I remember why it crossed my mind.' He fidgeted nervously and pulled his trenchcoat from his head. 'No need to look like any more of an ass today.'  
  
"KNEW FIND HERE" She stood next to him, trying to take cover under the trees he was occupying.  
  
"You know me too well Fuu. And how many times do I have to tell you, no monosyllabic words around me, you forget I knew you before you went tough." She scowled at the "before you were tough" remark, and punched him lightly in the shoulder.  
  
"I don't remember those days that well, and I don't want to. Besides, I can't even remember how we met." Fujin raised a colorless hand to her face, and wiped away the beads of rain that were falling into her eyes.  
  
"Isn't that weird? I can remember as far back as when we came to Garden, but other than that, there's nothing." Seifer tugged at his trench coat, thinking how much he wanted to cover his head again, he hated rain.  
  
"So, why are you out here anyway? You hate rainstorms, so you're obviously not taking in the sights."  
  
"No, definitely not." He didn't want to tell her the results of his exam, but he knew it was inevitable.  
  
"So, then why are you out here, huh?" She nudged him in the ribs playfully, and he turned away from her, trying to hide the blush on his face. He kicked the muddy ground with his steel-toed boot. After a moment of silence, he regrettably let the words slip.  
  
"I um, failed the exam today. Didn't want to see people, that's all." He was embarrassed of himself, more ashamed than embarrassed. He was probably the only one who failed the entire operation.  
  
Fujin listened thoughtfully, and was about to speak until she remembered the white envelope she clutched in her hand. She looked reluctantly at the white envelope, longing to show it to someone, but she quietly concealed it in her pocket, and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.  
  
"That makes two of us." She grasped him tightly, trying to show him to not be ashamed. He turned back to her swiftly, and looked at her in astonishment.  
  
"You failed too? How'd that happen? I mean, I didn't pass because of insubordination, which is something predictable for me, but you? What the hell did you do wrong?" Fujin looked to the ground for a few moments, while Seifer impatiently tapped his foot.  
  
"I didn't listen to the coordinates that were relayed to us by instructor Trounch, so we went in the wrong direction. It was a careless mistake, I was just nervous about passing, the pressure got to me, that's all."  
  
She kept her gaze on the ground, hiding her eye from Seifer's emerald stare. She knew he would be able to tell she was lying if she looked up too soon. She had passed with flying colors, in fact, she'd gotten the best grade out of any of the students, but she didn't want to get Seifer into his 'I'm such a loser' mode. He was more and more like that lately, ever since Squall Leonhart had been beating him occasionally during training. It wasn't often enough to worry about, but he said he felt like he had been slipping, so telling him her good news would only make it worse.  
  
Fujin was so engrossed in her thoughts about the test that she barely noticed the rain was falling harder. She began to shiver from the chilling wind that ran over her wet skin. Seifer noticed her shivering, and removed his coat, walking closer to her.  
  
'Poor Fujin, I was sure she would make it. She wanted to be in Seed so much, so we could start roving all over the world and meeting new people. So we could leave behind this boring routine of waking up, going to class, and training everyday and have an adventure or two. Garden life isn't for people like us. . .'  
  
He draped the coat over both of their heads, and snaked an arm around Fujin's waist, pulling her against his chest. He pushed strands of soaked silver hair out of her vision, and leaned his head against hers gently.  
  
"Ha, I thought chivalry was dead." Fujin nuzzled closer, trying to soak in the warmth his body was emitting. Seifer sighed heavily once again, and wrapped his other arm around her.  
  
"I'm sorry." She whispered, as wrapped her own arms around his shoulders. He pulled back a little, uncertain of what she was talking about.  
  
"What are you sorry for Fuu? It's not your fault I didn't pass; it was my own arrogance that killed me I suppose. Plus that asshole Malachi wouldn't have let me pass, even if I had followed orders. There's no need for apologies."  
  
"But still Seif, you wanted it more than anyone else that was there. Hell, Kurt doesn't even want to be in Seed and he passed. It's just not fair sometimes, that's all. I'm sorry that people like Kurt were accepted over you. It's Garden's loss though, because you have more talent than any of the people that made it."  
  
Seifer smirked against her forehead, and ran his hands along her back. 'Hyne, she always knows what to say to make me feel better.'  
  
"Well, at least we get to take it together next year, right Fusama? I was worried for a minute, thought you were gonna go off and have all of the fun without me." She laughed at the pet name, and nuzzled her face against the tender skin of his neck. Fujin always felt safe in Seifer's arms, as far back as she could remember he had been her savior. 'Seifer is my golden knight, and the only person besides Rajin who gives a damn about me. He's helped me more than he'll ever know.'  
  
"Right Seifer, and next year we'll both pass. We'll be the best Seed Garden has ever had!"  
  
"Y-yeah, sure we will Fuu." His voice grew nervous as he felt her steady breath glide over his body. He had to stop this contact before he got too excited. He stepped back a little and withdrew his arms from around her, which forced Fujin to do the same.  
  
Both stood hushed under the security of his trench coat, as the rain cascaded over the white material. Thunder rolled over the plains and the far off mountains, as lightning sliced through the blackness of the darkened sky. The wind stopped blowing so ruthlessly, and quieted down to a light breeze, which snuck under the protection of the trenchcoat and played with Fujin's dipping wet hair. She shivered again, now that her sun had stepped back from her arctic cold body. Never had anyone warmed her heart as much as the smiling boy that stood before her.  
  
'Ha, boy, Seifer would hate that.' A small smirk graced her lips for a split second, but it soon disappeared.  
  
'He is a boy though, in so many ways. If he had just followed orders, he would be in Seed now, like me. I can't be a Seed without Seifer, I just couldn't do that to him; it would damage his ego, although it could stand to be taken down a peg or two. But he's worked so hard for this all of his life, training night and day. He sneaks out of his room while Garden sleeps, and fights until he is so exhausted he can't move. While everyone else relaxes, he balances a minimal amount of sleep, food, grades that are just good enough to pass, and training. Not to mention, he spends what little free time he has with Rajin and I. If I look at it that way, I'm not really worthy of being in Seed anyway, not until I've truly earned it. I'll tell Headmaster Cid tomorrow that I'm not ready, he'll understand.' Fujin was broken out of her thoughts by a playful pinch on her side. She snapped her eyes to the blonde in front of her, who was smiling wickedly.  
  
"What the hell are you thinking so deeply about? Most likely me, I mean, who wouldn't think about a fine specimen like myself. It's ok, it's perfectly healthy to be obsessed with me."  
  
"You are so conceited."  
  
"But it's true." His smile grew and Fujin had to laugh, knowing that he wasn't actually kidding. He was arrogant, but at least he was honest. Fujin made no reply; she just stared up into the sparkling emerald eyes that were focused on her crimson.  
  
'What is happening here?' Seifer contemplated, as the smile slowly disappeared. His eyes examined Fujin's face, wondering why she had grown so silent. 'Does she want something to happen here? Hyne, this isn't good. I mean I want to kiss her, but what if I'm taking this the wrong way? What if I ruin everything by making the wrong move? Why am I asking myself all of the questions when I can't possibly answer any of them?'  
  
Lighting struck again, and suddenly a random thought popped into his head.  
  
"You know Fujin, we shouldn't stand under these trees during storms. . . it's dangerous." The remark came out absentmindedly, and he raised his callused hand toward her face, tracing invisible patterns on her cheek with a slightly trembling fingers.  
  
"I'm not afraid of storms Seifer, they're the most enchanting things in the world. Besides you're here with me, I . . . don't need to be scared." Her voice showed signs of hesitation, as the last few words slipped out. It was hard to think with Seifer acting so strange; it was almost like he wanted to. . . no, certainly not. Fujin knew that Seifer didn't want to make things complicated with her. So why was he beginning to move so close to her? Why was his breath escaping from his lips more rapidly than before?  
  
Seifer had no idea what he was doing. His thoughts were so chaotic right now, that the only thing he could do was focus on Fujin's face. Her platinum hair was wildly spinning in the wind, sending wisps of silver floating across her forehead, and the striking beauty of her pale skin and crimson eye enhanced the rare beauty that she possessed.  
  
'Fujin's no ordinary girl. Not like all of the bimbos who came to Garden to pick up guys. She has a certain something about her that just drives me crazy. It's like she has this untainted innocence, yet she knows everything about life and how it works. She's the first girl you spot in a room, and once you meet her, the only one you want to spend time with. She possesses a certain rare quality and exotic beauty that makes her irresistible. If only I could just show her how much I. . . '  
  
Seifer stopped his mind from bothering him, pushing all thoughts of regret and remorse aside. It was now or never, and Seifer couldn't wait any longer.  
  
He leaned in closer, and let his lips hover momentarily over their target, before quickly pressing them to hers. The kiss was faint and hesitant; it was everything and nothing at all to the two people who had exchanged it, it was like a cool breeze on a hot summer day, refreshing but leaving all too soon. Not a moment had passed before Seifer had pulled away, and rubbed the back of his head, trying to avoid the odd gaze that Fujin was inflicting on him. He hadn't waited long enough for her to kiss him back, at least he couldn't remember if she had or not. So he stood silently waiting for something to happen, anything to break the thick silence that had grown between them. Regret had returned to his mind, flushed with the terror of thinking Fujin would hate him forever.  
  
He froze, as he noticed a colorless hand touch his own, and entwine slender fingers with his. He felt a pale body step within close proximity, and another hand touched his face, forcing him to look up. He was met with a gentle crimson gaze, and a small grin. Fujin was smiling at him, almost chuckling now, as she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"What are you laughing at?" He questioned indignantly.  
  
"You get so embarrassed over the silliest things!" He raised an eyebrow, and wiped his cheek, playing disgusted.  
  
"Why are you assaulting me anyway? Geesh, find another hobby!" He smiled and winked at her, and released her hand, letting his own fall lifelessly to his side.  
  
Fujin raised an eyebrow in contrast, and put a hand on her hip.  
  
"Yeah, since I'm the one who kissed YOU and all" She laughed as Seifer's cheeks turned red again when the term kiss was brought.  
  
"You liked it and you know it. Besides, you're in that cute little Seed skirt, who could resist." He wrinkled his nose and pointed to the offensive outfit that Garden made its female students wear. Fujin grimaced; she had completely forgotten the hideous and uncomfortable excuse for a uniform that she had been standing around in all day. She observed the sky, noticing that the rain had lightened up, and then looked back towards Garden.  
  
"I think I'm going to go and change out of this, since you felt the need to bring it up. You wanna walk back with me, or are you going to stay here a while?" Fujin slipped out from under the trench coat, and straightened her skirt, which seemed to have hidden up in a short amount of time.  
  
"I think I'll wait here, I don't want to go back and talk to Rajin, he'll want me to explain everything about the exam in full detail, I'll wait until 10 or so."  
  
"Alright, see you later!" Fujin started to walk back towards Garden, but turned back swiftly.  
  
"Hey Seifer!"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Are we okay?" She had a concerned look on her face, and her hands motioned to the both of them.  
  
"Yeah, fine. Don't worry about it. Hey, it . . . never happened." He waved a hand dismissively, and turned his fixed his eyes on the vast ocean. Fujin just nodded and turned back around, leaving Seifer standing in the rain.  
  
He raised his hand, and touched a finger to his lips. The memory of the stolen kiss would be forever imprinted there, no matter how one-sided and brief it had been. Even if Seifer never had another moment like that with his angel again, he knew that he would never love anyone else.  
  
"I love you Fujin. . ." He whispered into the wind, as the pale figure disappeared in the distance. 


	5. Kurt Malgory Strikes Again

Chapter Five: Kurt Malgory Strikes Again  
  
Fujin reluctantly left Seifer standing in the rain, but the emotion in the air was so think she could have choked on it. Besides, she didn't really need to be any more obsessed with Seifer than she already was, and cuddling in the rain wasn't going to help that.  
  
Fujin returned to her dorm window and stood outside momentarily, trying to regain the feeling of Seifer's lips on her own. She would savor the memory more than any other in her lifetime.  
  
'Who would have thought that the beautiful sun would give the moon her first kiss?' Fujin smiled at the comparison and opened the window, climbing in carefully. 'I hope Ralien isn't awake, she'd be the first to let it slip to people that I was walking around after outdoor curfew.' Fujin slid into the room gracefully, and tiptoed to her own room that was adjoined to the main room. Fujin didn't want to wake Ralien up. Even though she was a nice girl, she was one of those types that liked to gossip about everyone and anything. Fujin closed the door and moved swiftly to her dresser, determined to get out of the incriminating skirt she had been forced to wear.  
  
'If guys get to wear pants, than why can't girls? I know one thing, I'll never wear this damn uniform again!' She shed the skirt and blouse quickly, tossing both into a pile of dirty clothes in the corner of her room. She grabbed a pair of loose black pants and a light blue t-shirt out of the dresser.  
  
'Some times I just don't understand him. Some of the things he does make me think that he might actually like me the way I like him. But how could anyone like me? I'm so weird. I think Kurt Malgory summed it up perfectly; I'm a monster in some senses. My hair, my eye-patch, the voice and personality that Seifer actually helped me create, I really am a monster, aren't I? Seifer just stays around because he feels sorry for me. That was just a pity kiss back there. He said 'just forget about it', so it obviously didn't mean anything to him, even though it meant the world to me. Maybe I should just accept it, Seifer will never think of me like I think of him. Let it go Fujin, just let it go.' She sighed heavily and focused her mind back on her previous task. After putting on her clothes, Fujin toweled off her rain-soaked hair and then walked back out of her bedroom door, grabbing some money on the way. She exited her dorm room, and headed to the cafeteria. 'I need something to eat and some time to think.'  
  
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"Hey Fujin!" she had just sat down at her table, and she was already being interrupted by impudent students. 'Could my day get any worse?' She moved her pasta around with her fork idly, and waited for the owner of the voice to come into view, no way was she wasting precious energy to turn around and talk to someone she loathed (which was just about everyone in Garden besides Rajin and Seifer). The sound of heavy boot approached her and walked in front of her table. To her surprise, it was Kurt Malgory standing in front of her.  
  
"Hi Fujin!" He pulled up a chair and ran his hand through his dark brown locks of hair. Fujin had to admit he was a beautiful specimen, but he was the biggest prick she had ever met.  
  
"FUCK OFF" She turned her gaze back to her pasta, trying to ignore the smirk that was playing on his lips.  
  
"Aw, c'mon Fujin, you're not still mad about that thing are you? I've forgiven Rajin for punching my lights out, can't you forgive me for a little word?"  
  
"ALWAYS ASS. NOT JUST ONE TIME." Fujin growled at him, and stabbed the pasta on her plate lightly.  
  
"Ok, so spreading your underwear all over the guys dorm hallway wasn't such a nice thing to do, but it was all in fun sweetie." He reached out to touch her hand, but she drew away quickly. He laughed and grabbed her wallet, which had been resting on the table by her tray. "My my, aren't we frigid?" He laughed again when he saw the grimace on Fujin's face and waved the wallet in front of her.  
  
"GIVE BACK. WILL KICK ASS." She grabbed for her wallet, but he drew it away quickly.  
  
"Now does that mean if I give the wallet back you will kick my ass, or you will attempt to do so if I don't?"  
  
Fujin sneered and tried to snatch the wallet again. "WILL KICK ASS EITHER WAY." Kurt laughed once again and began to paw through the various cards and pictures that were in her wallet. Fujin just ignored him and went back to eating, hoping he would leave her alone eventually.  
  
"Oh what's this?" Fujin quickly turned her gaze back to Kurt, who was pulling something out of her wallet. He cocked an eyebrow, and then turned the item around so Fujin could see it. It was a picture of Seifer sitting on the beach in Balamb, which normally wouldn't have drawn any attention from anyone, but the bad part was he had no shirt on. Fujin's cheeks flushed automatically as she gritted her teeth and out-stretched her hand.  
  
"GIVE BACK THINGS" She growled, as Kurt turned the picture back to himself.  
  
"Hey, does Almasy know you have a porn collection of him in your wallet? I'm sure he'd be amused." The smug bastard leaned back in his chair and eyed the picture intently.  
  
"WANT A COPY?" Fujin smirked, as Kurt put the picture in his pocket.  
  
"No, I think I'll keep yours, but just to show Almasy how fucking weird you are. He doesn't really like you; he just lets you stalk him because he feels sorry for you. Poor ugly, one-eyed Fujin, do you actually think Almasy likes hanging out with you?" Kurt laughed at the disgruntled look on Fujin's face.  
  
"No, you know he couldn't possibly want someone like you, don't you? He's an arrogant bastard anyway Fujin, really. He thinks he's too good for everyone."  
  
"OPPOSED TO YOU?" Fujin focused on her food again, not really eating, but needing something to concentrate on.  
  
"Well I'm glad you mentioned that actually. I'm way different than Seifer, because even though he wouldn't want to even touch you, I'd make an exception." Kurt moved the hand that wasn't holding her wallet, and grabbed her wrist. "How 'bout it Fujin? You wanna come to my room for a while? I'd bet you're a nice little piece of ass, once you get past appearances and all." Fujin tried to pull away, but Kurt held on tighter.  
  
"What's the matter baby, abstaining from all sexual activities until Seifer decides your human? You'll be waiting an awful long time." Normally Fujin would have kicked him in the balls by now, but the things her was saying bout Seifer were distracting her. Maybe she was right, maybe Seifer didn't really like her at all.  
  
Kurt smiled and squeezed her wrist again. "That's right Fujin, think about it. I'm the only guy that will ever offer you a fuck, so you may as well take it." Tears began to form in the albino's eyes as she tried to muster enough courage to pull away. But before she had a chance to, a silhouette that had been standing in the background for a while was approaching the table rapidly. Fujin lifted her gaze, and all she saw was a man in a white coat standing behind Kurt. 'Oh shit. . .' She looked up, and met Seifer's enraged gaze.  
  
"Need some help with this one Fuu?" Seifer looked down at Kurt, who just smiled at Fujin.  
  
"No Seifer, there's no need for a fight. Your little girl here was just telling me how much she wanted to fuck me, that's all." Kurt stood up difficulty, considering that Seifer was standing very close behind him. "Isn't that right Fujin?" He looked over at Fujin, and then back to Seifer, who looked like he was about to explode. "Told her I wouldn't touch her nasty ass, not when you've been jizzing all over it." Kurt smiled again and then looked back to Fujin, who was staring at the ground.  
  
Seifer sniggered at Kurt and pulled the brunette's face back to face him, in a quick motion that looked like it could have snapped Kurt's neck. "What, are you jealous?" Seifer stated boldly, managing to catch a glimpse of Fujin out of the corner of his eye, who was grimacing and cursing him under her breath. Seifer smirked; he loved to embarrass her from time to time.  
  
"Jealous that you fuck the Cyclops, hell no. Besides if I really wanted to fuck her I wouldn't wait for approval." Kurt looked back to Fujin, and made vulgar movements with his tongue. Seifer shook his head, grabbed Kurt by the collar of his leather jacket, and lifted him off the ground slightly, pulling Kurt's face just inches away from his own. He had enough of this asshole for one day.  
  
"SEIFER DON'T. NOT WORTH EXPOLSION!" Fujin stood up and started to walk closer, but Seifer turned to her angrily.  
  
"Fujin, I've got this. Just sit back down." Fujin obeyed reluctantly, and Seifer got back to the mission at hand. He was about to punch the little bastard in the face, but Fujin was right, he didn't want to get expelled over a fight with Kurt Malgory. Seifer groaned inwardly, and turned his attentions back to Kurt, who was looking pretty scared at this point.  
  
"Listen prick, don't you ever try to touch her again, don't say anything to her, hell if you even look at her funny I'll kill you, you got that?"  
  
"Yeah sure man, put me down!" Kurt squirmed nervously and grabbed at Seifer's hands, thinking that his neck was about to get wrung by them.  
  
"Hyne you're such a wimp." Seifer set him down, but still held onto his collar with one hand.  
  
"Now, give me the wallet and whatever it was that you pilfered from it." Kurt let the wallet fall into Seifer's hand and the pulled the glossy paper out of his pocket, setting it on top of the black leather. Seifer looked down at the photo and his cheeks flushed momentarily, but he looked back at Kurt and pushed him away disgustedly. "Get the hell out of here." Seifer spat, as he sat down at the table. Kurt walked away from the two without a word, until he made it to the entrance of the cafeteria. He smirked and yelled back to Fujin,  
  
"Hey baby, I'll be waiting for you!" Then he walked out of the cafeteria briskly, afraid that Seifer would jump over the tables and beat him up.  
  
Fujin groaned as Seifer clenched his teeth and set her wallet down on the table. She outstretched her hand and placed the wallet back on her tray.  
  
"You would think the stupid fuck would at least have the brains to back off for a while." Fujin nodded in agreement and went back to eating her pasta.  
  
"Hey Fujin, why did you just sit here and let him mess with you? I thought we'd worked on that." Seifer waited for a reply, as Fujin just stared down at her food.  
  
"NOT GOOD DAY. NOT FEEL LIKE FIGHT." She looked up at Seifer, who was thumbing the photo of himself between his fingers. He examined the photo carefully, and let his eyes connect with Fujin's, which caused the pale girl to blush. A grin snuck onto his face, and he slid the photo across the table, pushing it in front of Fujin. She snatched it up quickly and stuffed it away in her wallet.  
  
"Thanks . . . " She whispered quietly, as Seifer laughed softly.  
  
"Hyne Fuu, it's just a picture. You should see what I have of you in my wallet." Fujin cocked an eyebrow at him and then looked away dismissively, continuing to eat. Seifer took that as a hint to change the subject.  
  
"So, did you here where we are going next summer?" Fujin looked up at him inquisitively, and furrowed her eyebrows.  
  
"What do you mean? We stay at Garden during the summer." Seifer smiled and pulled map out of his pocket, which had a little town circled in red.  
  
"Timber?" Fujin questioned, as Seifer leaned back in his chair.  
  
"Yup, just you, Rajin and me. No garden staff or rules or anything."  
  
"Why would we go to Timber?" Seifer rolled his eyes at her and sighed.  
  
"Well, it is the only place cheap enough of course, if you plan on buying new pole and bait and all." Fujin smiled and grabbed the map excitedly.  
  
"Fishing? We're going to take a summer long fishing trip?" She loved fishing, as did her two comrades. They spent all of their time away from Garden fishing on the Balamb dock. Seifer smiled back and moved to the chair that was right next to her. He leaned over to look at the map, and pointed out the route they would be taking.  
  
"Yeah see, all we have to do is take the train and we're there! It's gonna be so cool!" He traced the path with his finger, so Fujin could see exactly how they would get there.  
  
"Wait a minute Seifer, I won't be able to go! I'll only be sixteen, and you have to be seventeen to sign out for the summer! You and Rajin are gonna have to go without me!" She sank down in her chair and sulked, as Seifer folded up the map.  
  
"I already thought of that. Do you actually think that I would leave you here with these pricks? We'll just call around and find someone out in Timber that'll pretend to be a grandmother or family friend or something, and have them send for you and Rajin for the summer, that's all. Really Fujin, you should have more faith in me!" Seifer put a hand on his chest, and acted genuinely hurt. Fujin laughed and elbowed him in the ribs, then stood up to throw her tray away, stuffing her wallet in her pocket.  
  
"Lets go tell Rajin, he'll be more excited than I am." Seifer walked beside her to the trashcan, and then both walked to the doors.  
  
"Wait a minute Seifer, how are we going to get the money to go?" Fujin stopped and tilted her had to the side, waiting for him to explain.  
  
"Oh, we'll just sell you to Kurt." Fujin glared at Seifer angrily, who was laughing hysterically.  
  
"That wasn't funny." She stated indignantly, and began to walk away.  
  
"Oh, c'mon Fuu I was kidding! We'll go to Balamb on the weekends and kill monsters for people or something, no big deal!" Seifer caught up with her and threw a muscular arm around her shoulders.  
  
"But ya know Fuu, I was wondering . . . are there any more pictures of me in you're wallet?" He reached down towards her pocket, and she slapped his hand away, throwing his arms off of her shoulders in the process. Seifer just stood in the hallway as he watched Fujin quicken her pace.  
  
"Aww c'mon Fuu, I just wanna know how obsessed you really are! I don't want any of that 'femme fatal' shit!" She turned around and flipped him off, then turned towards the hallway to the dorms. Seifer laughed heartily and sprinted after her.  
  
A/N Ooookay. Well I'm not too crazy about this chapter at all, but since I wrote it . . . what the hell, may as well post it right? I know it's probably not worth a review so don't feel obligated to give me one, but if you have the sudden urge to submit one, well . . . I wouldn't be disappointed or anything :) Thanks for reading! 


	6. The Disciplinary Committee

Chapter Six: The Disciplinary Committee  
  
Cid sat at his cafeteria table quietly, enjoying a cup of fresh coffee. He smiled lovingly at the letter in his hands. Edea had written him. It had been quite some time since he'd had contact with his wife. He folded the letter, and placed it gingerly into the envelope in which it came. He couldn't wait until the summer came. Garden wouldn't need him there, since most of the kids were returning to their homes anyway. A whole summer of nothing but waking up to the sun on a lazy afternoon, he couldn't wait.  
  
There was the small issue, however, of the students that would be spending the summer at Garden. The Garden faculty and NORG had recently decided that they wouldn't be the ones to enforce the rules this summer, claiming that 'the miscreants act worse when the headmaster is away'. Cid narrowed his eyes in annoyance; NORG was more of a nuisance than an asset.  
  
Cid had been pondering for days, with the summer sneaking up in just a couple short weeks. He had to find a solution, knowing that if he didn't he would be the one stuck here, and Edea couldn't possibly show up in a place that trained people to kill her. He sighed, and shoved the letter from his beloved in a nearby brief case. Where would he find someone who had nothing planned for the summer, who could handle unruly students? He stood, getting ready to leave and call Edea, telling her that he feared he wouldn't be making it home for a few months, when a certain spectacle caught his eye.  
  
Cid watched carefully, as one of the most frequent visitors to his office harassed a small girl. He remembered her immediately as the mysterious child that had once appeared at Edea's orphanage many years ago. He was about to go and intervene, to give young Kurt Malgory yet another detention, when another infamous member of Cid's after school club appeared.  
  
He watched hesitantly, as Seifer Almasy said a few words to the boy, and began to get rough with him, but Fujin Sanada quietly bid him away, and he did as requested. The fight was over as soon as it had begun. Cid smiled; there was one incident report he wouldn't have to write up.  
  
He eyed the pair, as they walked together out of the cafeteria. Fujin had recently passed her Seed exam, an exceptional fighter and very intellectual. Although she didn't look very tough, she was a very skilled fighter. Seifer on the other hand, was a different story. He was an exceptional fighter, the best in his class. He had good grades and was well respected by his classmates . . . or rather feared by his classmates, but he had a spiteful temper and wasn't very good with listening to authority. Cid thought that it was an unlikely companionship, the calm and stoic girl matched with the over-zealous and outgoing hoodlum. Then of course there was that large boy that always hung around them, Fujin's brother, Rajin. An improbable group; yet they all seemed to fit together well. A small smile tugged on the old man's lips, as he grabbed his briefcase off the floor.  
  
'Maybe those three would like to stay and regulate the Garden's hallways.' He chuckled at the thought of having one of Garden's most infamous hell- raisers in charge of the student body while he was away. 'NORG would have a fit.' He chuckled a bit more, but then stopped suddenly, running the idea over in his head. Getting to NORG was one of Cid's favorite pastimes, and what a perfect opportunity to do so.  
  
'I'll have to call all three up to my office later, maybe if I offer a little money, they'll accept.' He walked out of the cafeteria happily; maybe his summer would be perfect after all.  
  
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The Next Day:  
  
Seifer sat outside of Cid's office in a worn-out leather chair, letting the days events play over in his mind.  
  
'What the hell did I do this time?' He questioned himself. 'Actually, what did I do that got Fujin and Rajin in trouble too, who knows what I did that would get me up here, but both of them too?' His eyes snapped up as the elevator doors opened, revealing his large bronzed friend.  
  
"Heya Seifer!" He walked over happily and plunked down in the chair adjacent to his comrade.  
  
"So what are we in for? Was it that thing we did to Instructor Taln? 'Cause it was all your idea, ya know?"  
  
Seifer rolled his eyes. "Well Rajin I didn't force you to delete the woman's whole damned lesson plan for next year, I just said to delete the tests. And I certainly didn't force your hand to move the Hyne damned mouse! Besides, Fujin wasn't in on that."  
  
"Oh right! Say where is Fuu-sama anyway? She should be here by now, ya know?"  
  
Seifer was about to reply, when Cid popped his head through his office door.  
  
"Ah, Rajin, Seifer! Please come on in; it will only take a few minutes. Your friend has already joined me." He opened the door wide, letting them see Fujin's small form plunked in a more comfortable chair. Seifer peered at her curiously. 'Why was Fuu in here before we were even called to the office?' He sat down in one of the three chair assembled in front of Cid's desk, as did Rajin.  
  
Cid assumed his usual position at his desk, and smiled at them exuberantly.  
  
"Good afternoon you three. Don't worry, no one is in trouble, but then again the day isn't over yet." Seifer raised an eyebrow at the comment and smirked.  
  
"Well, as I'm sure you all know, the summer vacation is approaching, do you have any plans?" He looked to Rajin, who was clearly waiting for their spokesperson to answer.  
  
"Not really sir, we're all staying here and commuting to Balamb to work. We plan on taking a trip this following summer, so we have to make some money." Cid raised a hand to his chin thoughtfully, and then addressed them again.  
  
"So, you'll be staying on campus again Mr. Almasy?" Seifer was afraid that after last summer, Cid was going to tell him he had to find somewhere else to go.  
  
"Look Sir, I won't set fire to anything this summer I promise! No more magic practice indoors, I learned my lesson." Seifer raised his hand, swearing like a boy scout.  
  
"Well, that's good to hear . . . actually I forgot all about that." Cid's face scrunched, and he began to re-think the whole idea, but was so intrigued by the thought of angering NORG, that he just couldn't pass it up.  
  
"Oh what the hell, I don't care what happens. Fujin, Rajin, Seifer . . . I want you to be Balamb Garden's first Disciplinary Committee. You see I can't be here this summer due to personal reasons, and the Garden Faculty has decided that they don't want to enforce the rules, only keep track of Garden affairs. So I decided to ask you three if you would like to work for Garden this summer. You wouldn't have to commute to Balamb."  
  
Seifer was already salivating at the idea of having Balamb Garden in his grasp, but he didn't let on. He looked to Cid unsurely, and shook his head.  
  
"I don't know Cid, handling no good brats isn't really my idea of a fun summer, I mean I can barley stand it for the other nine months of the year."  
  
Cid got nervous, thinking that someone like Seifer would jump at the chance to have a little control over Garden.  
  
"Well, I will pay you three accordingly, 5,000 gil each, you'll get your money once the summer is over."  
  
"Make it six and we've got a deal." Seifer loved to barter, and he especially liked the fact that just one of their salaries would pay for their entire trip to Timber next summer if he could raise it a little. Cid smiled and slid a contract across the table.  
  
"Well then, just sign here and it's done. I'm sure you'll do a fine job." All three signed quietly, and stood getting ready to leave.  
  
"Will that be all Sir?" Seifer questioned, as he looked over the contact.  
  
"Yes, thank you. All of you stop by tomorrow, I need to give you keys to your office, once I find an available room." They all nodded, and walked out the door.  
  
"Oh and Fujin!" She turned around reluctantly, as Seifer stared at her.  
  
"SIR?"  
  
"Thank you for coming to see me, it takes a brave person to admit something like that. I'll be waiting for you to graduate next year." The old man smiled at her, as he put their contract into a metal file cabinet.  
  
"THANKS. LOOK FORWARD TO." She closed the door, trying to avoid making eye contact with Seifer.  
  
"What was that all about? Why were you in Cid's office before us?"  
  
"REASON NONE. MADE IT FIRST. CID INVITE." She kept her voice in her monosyllabic tone, so Seifer wouldn't be able to detect her nervousness.  
  
"Oh yeah, so what are you so brave about then?" She just pretended not to hear him, and started to talk with Rajin, who was ecstatic about their new job.  
  
Seifer grimaced, he was extremely curious as to why she was being so secretive, and was determined to figure out what she was hiding.  
  
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A/N: I hate this chapter, it's not very good at all, I'm just trying to get a good idea for this story, and I have to get some of this factual stuff out of the way! It's so frustrating!!! My other Saifuu story is turning out much better than this one! Oh well . . . I'll try harder on the next chapter, sorry about this! 


	7. Insomnia

Chapter Seven:  
  
Insomnia:  
  
Seifer glanced at his watch, waiting for the lunch bell to ring. He wouldn't be joining his Posse in the cafeteria today; he had more important things to do. He waited anxiously, as the second hand approached the twelve. He recalled Cid and Fujin's conversation before, something about being brave enough to admit . . . something. He grimaced; time always passes slowly when you want it to go fast. Seifer's patience began to waver as Instructor Trounch droned on about the effects of junctioning magic. If he was actually interested in learning such a thing, he may have listened, but right now h couldn't get his mind off this secret Fujin was keeping. It was obviously important, since the headmaster was in on it. The only question was, how was he going to get information out of Cid?  
  
The bell rang, and Seifer grabbed his notebook, not waiting for the Instructor to dismiss the class, and sprinted out the door. He needed to get to Cid's office before he left for lunch.  
  
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Seifer knocked lightly on the huge door, and was greeted by the stout gray man he had met with earlier that day. He smiled warmly, and welcomed Seifer inside.  
  
"Well Mr. Almasy, what brings you back so soon? You haven't changed your mind have you?" Cid returned to his desk, and began to put a few files away in a large brown briefcase.  
  
"No Sir, not at all. I was just wondering if it would be possible to get computer put into our new office." Seifer smiled inwardly, and congratulated himself for being such an expert liar.  
  
"Well, I'm glad to see you've taken interest in your job already Seifer. I'm sure I can pull some strings in the computer lab and get you on or two. I haven't even had time to find an office yet and already you want me to get a computer." Cid chuckled and walked towards his door.  
  
"Well, I will certainly try Mr. Almasy, now if there isn't anything else-"  
  
"No wait! I um . . ." Seifer froze for a moment, unsure of what to say. "I was just wondering . . .what you think about this whole situation with Fujin." He cursed himself this time. 'Smooth Seifer real smooth, what idiot would fall for that, it didn't even sound like you knew what you were talking about.  
  
"Oh, she told you did she? Well, I can certainly understand where she is coming from. The pressure of being a Seed is a heavy burden, although her score shows different."  
  
Seifer's eyes widened momentarily, in shock. 'Pressure of being a Seed? I don't get it, I thought she failed.' He definitely needed to get a little more information on this one.  
  
"Yes Sir, I'm sure it is. What did she get for a score again?" He tried to pretend like he was verifying the headmaster's comment.  
  
"Well Seifer, she scored the highest out of the entire graduating Seed class, quite frankly I don't understand why she doesn't think she can handle it, but I respect her decision either way. You know, you are a good friend of hers, maybe you could persuade her to graduate. She has all of the potential; she's just lacking the confidence. I think she needs a little push."  
  
Seifer nodded in agreement, he surprisingly wasn't tongue tied from the information he just acquired.  
  
"Sure Sir, I'll talk to her about it." The Headmaster smiled, and politely shooed Seifer out of his office.  
  
"Good, good. Well, once again, good afternoon Seifer, lets hope we don't meet again today on bad terms, hmm?"  
  
"Yes Sir." Seifer smiled back, and walked away from the Headmaster's office with a quickened pace.  
  
'Fujin lied to me about passing? Why in Hyne's name would she do that? What's wrong with her, if I passed I'd be waving my little white envelope in everyone's faces.' He stepped into the elevator and pressed the level one button. His features twisted into a perplexed look, as he crossed his arms over his chest. 'I don't get it, did she think I wouldn't be happy for her? Of course I would be, becoming a Seed is a great honor, not just anyone makes it in.' He thought about his own Seed failure, and how he would have done anything to be given the opportunity that she had. That thought triggered another in the back of his mind. 'Does she think I would be jealous?' The elevator doors opened, and Seifer started to make a path towards the cafeteria, it was still his lunch block after all. Suddenly he stopped and looked down to his watch. One third of the newly formed DC would be in the training center for Optional Combat Period. Seifer decided he'd pay her a little visit; after all he still hadn't congratulated her for being one of Garden's finest.  
  
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The cold blue metal of Fujin's Shruiken sliced through the hard green flesh of a nearby grat, and then flew gracefully back to her hand. Her weapon was one of the only things she could depend on to return, and one of the only things she would invest her life in. She let the cool steel leave her hand to slice through another intruder; these low level monsters were becoming too easy for the albino to tolerate. She flicked a piece of gooey green skin off of her precious blade, and sat down on a fallen tree trunk.  
  
'Since when do I sit down to take a rest while fighting?' She scowled at the appearance of yet another grat. She stood briefly and obliterated the creature in a matter of seconds. She discovered that she didn't really comprehend how vegetarians would want to be in Seed. She sat back down and mused about the past days events. Everything had been happening so fast, she had barely had time to breath.  
  
Unexpectedly, she heard a twig snap to her left, and she jumped from her deep-thinking position to a more battle ready stance. Her crimson eye caught that of an unsure emerald, and she lowered herself back down onto the rotting tree trunk. Seifer laughed at her quietly, and sat beside her.  
  
"Nervous about something Fuu?" She shook her head.  
  
"Well, why are you jumping like a first year? A Seed doesn't get nervous Fuu, or do they?" He glared at her attentively, hoping that she would just confess and make the whole process less time consuming. She just shifted uneasily and finished cleaning off the blade of her weapon.  
  
"I wouldn't know." She stated, in an emotionless tone. Seifer smirked, 'so that's the way you want to play Fuu?'  
  
He laughed again, flashing perfect white teeth at her. She grew nervous suddenly, 'What's going on here? It seems like he . . . knows . . .' He mind betrayed her, and forced her to gaze off into an apprehensive stare.  
  
Seifer nudged her in the ribs lightly with his elbow, and stood from his position on the tree trunk. His eyes flashed a hint of satisfaction; he'd have her confessing in no time.  
  
"Well since we're here, you wanna spar Fuu? It seems like we could both use the practice." She looked up at him, a shocked expression looming over her features. 'Me, spar with you Seifer? Please you'd kill me with one blow.' She shook her head.  
  
"No way Seifer, sparring without an instructor present is against Garden rules. What kind of Disciplinary Committee would we be if we didn't follow the rules?" She furtively laid her weapon at her side, and looked up, to see Seifer grinning wide.  
  
"Ha, you sound like Leonhart, besides we won't get caught. I never have when I sparred with Rajin. C'mon Fuu, I'm not going to kill you. Just a little cut or two, no injury you haven't known before." His hand moved to the hilt at his side, where Hyperion rested. This wasn't good. Even if she had made Seed, she was no match for Seifer and the weapon he yielded. Even though she was now the owner of a guardian force, Pandemona, she still wasn't about to spar with him.  
  
"I don't need to practice. If you want to fight so bad, go find a T-Rexaur and stop wasting my time." She stood and turned to walk back towards the exit, but Seifer jumped in front of her.  
  
"You don't need to practice Fuu? I find that hard to believe, since you didn't pass and all. There's always room for improvement, ne?" She hated it when he was like this, controlling and condescending with that annoying damn smirk on his face. At times she thought it was cute, but this was just ridiculous.  
  
"SEIFER. MOVE." He could tell she was getting angry, now that she was bringing out her defensive speech pattern. She tried to push past him again, but he moved expertly and grabbed both of her wrists, pulling her towards him again. He loved making her nervous; it was one of his favorite pastimes. She was always so damn rigid, the only times when she let her guard down was when she knew he wasn't in the right state of mind to notice, but right now, his mind was more in balance than hers. He was sick of toying with her now, and wanted to get an answer from her.  
  
"Where are ya goin' Fuu? Too good to spar with the common students?" She glared at him viciously and tried to pull away.  
  
"KNOW. HOW?" He loosened his grip on her wrists, but still held onto her.  
  
"I talked to Cid today. You're not the only one who can have secret meetings." A heavy silence fell between them, as Seifer noticed a white envelope edging it's way out of her pocket. He released her wrists and grabbed the envelope, before Fujin could get to it herself.  
  
His hands moved slowly over the well-worn paper that must have passed through her hands thousands of times. He removed the letter inside, and opened it carefully. He let his eyes dart over the words momentarily, before reading an excerpt out loud.  
  
"Fujin Sanada, Congratulations for your completion of Balamb Garden's Cadet training program, and welcome to the worlds most prominent mercenary corporation, Seed." He pressed his lips together, and folded the letter, putting it back into the envelope and slowly sliding it back into her pocket.  
  
"What other secrets are you keeping Fuu?" His eyebrows drew together and he shook his head, disbelievingly.  
  
"Why'd you lie about this? Why in Hyne's name did you tell me you didn't pass? Furthermore, why didn't you want to graduate? I mean not to be an asshole or anything Fuu, but that's fucking stupid." Her gaze fell to the dark soil of the training center, and she scuffed her boot against the tree trunk she had been sitting on.  
  
"I didn't want-I-I couldn't . . ." He voice broke; there was no way she could say this to him was there?  
  
"Didn't what Fujin?" He called her Fujin, when had this gotten so serious?  
  
"Didn't want you to get mad. Didn't want to have to leave Garden without you and Rajin. Didn't think I was ready. There are so many reasons Seifer, it was just more sensible. I thought we were supposed to leave together right?" He looked away from her, and ran a hand through his golden hair.  
  
"Fujin this was one of the best things that's ever happened to you. I can't believe you'd just turn it down."  
  
She stepped closer to him, and looked straight into his emerald eyes.  
  
"What would you have done in my position?" He broke his gaze away from her, ashamed of what his answer would be.  
  
"For Hyne's sake Fujin, I would have taken it. I would have graduated damn it, and so should you. It's not like we'd never see you, just less, maybe a couple of times a month . . ." That made him re-think his answer slightly. How could he go weeks without seeing Fujin?  
  
She smiled bitterly. 'Of course he'd graduate; he's never been as loyal and dedicated to his friends as I have.' She reached into her pocket, and pulled out the envelope. She frowned briefly, and then looked back up at Seifer, who was watching her diligently. She held the white envelope in her grasp tightly, and then ripped it in two.  
  
"Well, there's the difference between you and me. I'd do anything for you and Rajin, while you Seifer, would do anything that would benefit yourself." She discarded the torn pieces onto the ground.  
  
"That's not true and you know it. You know how I feel about you two, but I'd never expect you to give up your dreams for me." His voice had taken on a different tone, hurt maybe? Fujin was silent once again, why was he making this such a big deal, she would just graduate next year when he and Rajin did, what was the problem?  
  
"I can't believe you think I'm that much of a jerk Fujin. Sure I'm a prick I'll admit that, but when it comes to you . . . and Rajin-I-you know I want everything for you guys, right? You're my posse, if you aren't happy then neither am I. Hyne I sound like such a pansy . . ." Fujin put a hand on his shoulder, and gripped him tightly.  
  
"I'm happy with my decision Seifer. You'll just have to accept it." She turned and walked away, leaving him standing alone in the training center. He removed Hyperion from its resting place, and slashed the nearby tree trunk in half. 'Why does she have to be so difficult?'  
  
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Later that night:  
  
Seifer rolled to his side. For some reason, his bed seemed even less comfortable than usual tonight. He glanced at the clock on his nightstand with blurry eyes.  
  
'1:00 am. Damn Fujin for giving me insomnia. I wish she hadn't just . . . left.' He rolled over onto his back, resting his arms behind his head, and staring at the ceiling. 'Why do I feel guilty, I didn't do anything to her, except for basically tell her that I wouldn't give up my dreams for our friendship . . . hmm I guess that is something to feel guilty about.'  
  
Seifer sat up in bed rapidly; he could have sworn he just heard something beeping. He strained his ears, only to hear the familiar beeping noise again. It sounded like someone was opening the door, but who would be coming to his dorm at 1:00 in the morning? Only Rajin and Fujin knew the password to the room, and Rajin was in the room adjacent to his sleeping, or so he thought, so the only reasonable person it could be . . .  
  
He heard a timid knocking on the door to his bedroom. He drew his eyebrows together quizzically, as he stalked over to the door. He rested his hand on the doorknob, briefly running the other through his messy hair. Appearances didn't really matter at this hour.  
  
He opened the door a crack, and saw his pale friend waiting anxiously outside.  
  
"Fuu? What are you doing here? If you get caught you could get kicked out!" He grabbed her arm and yanked her inside.  
  
She was slightly taken aback by his practically naked form. He had nothing on but a pair of black boxers. Her cheeks flushed a little, and Seifer offered a lazy smile.  
  
"Apologies." She whispered, as she wrung her hands together.  
  
'What's this Fujin, nervous? I don't suppose you've snuck into many men's dorms during the early hours.' He sat down on his bed, feeling even drowsier than before.  
  
"What's up Fuu?" She observed the red color of his eyes, and assumed that he hadn't gotten much sleep either.  
  
"Couldn't sleep." She said quietly, and awkwardly shifted her weight.  
  
"I know how you feel. I've been tossing and turning all night, while blockhead in the next room snores." Fujin laughed lightly, as a muffled roar traveled through the wall.  
  
"Look Fujin, about today, I-" She held up her hand and sat down on the bed beside him.  
  
"Don't say a word Seifer. I was out of line by saying that stuff to you. I just don't like to be told what to do, that's all. Just like you in a way." He chuckled, and moved closer to her. Fujin was in his room, in the middle of the night, and he was extremely uncomfortable with the huge gap of space that separated them.  
  
"Yeah, well I guess I can be a pain. For what it's worth I'm sorry. I know that you do a lot for me and I do kinda take it for granted sometimes. I'm not really a very good friend." He offered her a sad smile.  
  
Fujin shook her head, and placed a hand on his cheek. "Good friend Seifer. Never doubt." He was confused; she was talking monosyllabics, but was gentle and kind at the same time. These past few days had been really thought provoking.  
  
"Thanks Fuu, right back at ya." He hesitantly moved closer, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a warm embrace. Her body froze momentarily at the thought of touching his bare skin, but she returned the favor and wrapped her arms around his waist.  
  
Seifer smiled. Maybe insomnia caused by Fujin was a good thing after all. He took a deep breath, smelling the scent of vanilla upon her platinum hair, which glowed radiantly under the moonlight that was peeking it's way through the curtain. When had he ever felt this elated? He squeezed her a little tighter, and nuzzled his head playfully against hers. She laughed, oh how he loved to hear that rare sound escape her pink lips. Generally Seifer was the only one who was able to make the ice-queen express that emotion. It made him feel important in an odd way, that he was the only one who could truly make his goddess happy.  
  
She pulled away and smiled up at him, her crimson eye sparkling. "I'm glad that's over with. You have no idea how guilty I felt keeping such a big secret from you, I-" He brought a finger to her lips to silence her.  
  
"No more about that Fujin. Just let me hold you." He pulled her close again, and kissed her temple lightly. Fujin's eye went wide, and her heart was racing. '*Just let me hold you*? Does he even realize what he's doing to me? Does he know ho hard these past few days have been? Now he's gotta go and say something so . . . incredibly sweet . . . and make me even more confused. Seifer I hate you for doing this to me! But hold me all you want . . .'  
  
He felt her settle against him, and smirked. He loved the feeling of this. It was totally different than outside during the storm. The atmosphere was more . . . intimate than before, it wasn't as nervous and unsure feeling. For some reason, he felt like they both knew something would happen between them eventually, or else Fujin wouldn't be resting in his arms tonight. He kissed her temple again, and ran a hand through her platinum hair, moving the other to slowly rub her back, which caused her to shiver. Seifer's heart fluttered, was she uncomfortable with this?  
  
He stopped, and moved back, whispering apologies with in husky voice. Was she mad at him for being so forward? He didn't notice the disappointment on his pale friends face, as he looked away, his cheeks stained pink.  
  
"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I'm sorry Fujin, I thought you-" This time, he felt a warm hand touch his cheek, and forcing him to connect his gaze with a crimson orb. A pale trembling finger touched his lips, silencing the blond from spilling any more thoughts of regret.  
  
"I-I do." Her voice wavered like the rest of her body, but not as much as that last statement had made Seifer shake. He stared at her, the desire in his eyes more evident than ever before. The goddess had given him, Seifer Almasy, permission to touch her sacred skin, to caress and kiss her pale flesh.  
  
He pulled her to him again, feeling extreme warmth he'd never felt with anyone before. Was this what it was like to love someone? His breaths became more shallow and rapid, needing Fujin to fill a void that had been present in him as far back as he could remember. He kissed her forehead gently, before moving lower, and pressing his lips to hers. He was surprised to feel her kissing him back, although not as sure and confident as he had kissed her. The sheer vulnerability of the situation made him dizzy. Fujin was never vulnerable, yet here she was trembling at his touch. He felt the sudden urge to taste more of his sweet angel, to take all of her that he could while he still had the chance. His tongue entered her mouth, causing her to gasp slightly. Fujin had never experienced anything like this before, and it was all happening so fast. She laid a hand on his chest, and pushed him back lightly. Breathless, she semi-protested to what was starting to happen.  
  
"Seifer . . . this is . . ." But she couldn't form the words, her head was spinning.  
  
He suddenly felt a tinge of guilt, he had gotten too selfish, but he just couldn't help it. This new feeling was intoxicating.  
  
"I'm sorry Fuu . . . sorry . . . I just-" He chuckled quietly, feeling giddy; he found himself just as breathless and his thoughts just as fuzzy as hers. He rested his head in the soft flesh of her neck and let out a shaky sigh. She raised her hand and ran her fingers through his soft blond hair, causing him to nuzzle closer.  
  
Fujin didn't understand Seifer sometimes. How could he go from being the rough, confident and calloused solider to the shaking man in her arms? He was an emotional chameleon, just like she was, camouflaging themselves from the world. Fujin suddenly pushed all thoughts aside, how could she be so blind? There was no one else in the world she would want to share moments like this with besides Seifer, why was she stopping him?  
  
Fujin let her own hand glide over his muscular chest, making him jump and look up at her. Her lip curved slightly at the look of shock that had briefly graced his features but soon disappeared. He brought his lips back to hers, passionate and gentle all at once, and she accepted him hungrily. He broke away for air, and began placing frantic kisses on her face. His eyes stopped on the black material that covered her scarred eye, the only part of her face that he had never been able to see. Ever since he could remember, she always kept it covered, embarrassed and ashamed. He took the opportunity of her dazed stared to gently snake a finger under the string of the black material, and attempt to remove it slowly. Her small pale hand shot up, grabbing his wrist. Her crimson eye pleaded with him, no one needed to see that scar from her past that even she couldn't remember. He smiled reassuringly, and kissed her cheek once more.  
  
"C'mon Fuu, it's just me." That convincing Almasy smile made her hand drop back to her side, allowing him to remove the black material, causing all of her comfort and safety to crumble down around her. She closed her crimson eye, waiting for him to turn away in disgust.  
  
He studied the scar on her face, noting the pink flesh that tormented his beloved Fuu. Jagged lines ran across her closed eyelid, where there was apparently still an eyeball underneath. Seifer had never thought that whatever under Fujin's eye patch would be horrific, and it wasn't. It only made her seem more beautiful, stronger than anyone he had ever known.  
  
He leaned in, and kissed the soft flesh tenderly, which made his platinum angel quiver. He smiled, and murmured into her ear.  
  
"You're beautiful Fujin, you're so beautiful." Seifer looked back to her crimson eye, and noticed tears trying to escape. He kissed her lips quickly, before whispering in her ear.  
  
"Do you trust me Fuu?" His voice was quiet and husky, as he ran his hands along her back. A tear slid down her cheek, he was so damn perfect. She nodded silently, and kissed him, which was more than enough of an answer for Seifer.  
  
He laid her back on the bed, and whispered soft reassurances as he unbuttoned her shirt with trembling hands. This would certainly be a night that neither would forget.  
  
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Well . . . um . . . I sensed quite a bit of sexual tension between the two, so I just you know, relieved it! This was complete mush and completely unrealistic, can you say OOC. Oh well. See reviewers don't even need to criticize my work, because I'm already down on it before I post it. What kind of writer am I? Well anyway, if you like it or didn't like it, I'll still enjoy the review. 


	8. Awakening

Awakening:  
  
Pale velvety flesh shifted underneath the blue cotton blanket carefully. A crimson iris scanned the room with in confusion. Where was this foreign place? Why was she some where other than her own bed? Letting her gaze fall upon the silently snoring figure next to her, Fujin gasped in awe. And it all came back . . .  
  
His gentle touch, the soft kisses he laid on her forehead, the look of pure innocence upon him as he undressed them both eagerly. The way he trembled slightly when she brushed her skin against his, and the soft quaking of his body when he had entered her. His half lidded eyes carefully observing her features, and his voice, husky with desired asking her if she was all right, the way he murmured her name against her neck, and grasped her sides as he fell into ecstasy. And finally, the way he pulled her against himself, and whispered he loved her, and fell asleep with her wrapped in his arms. Seifer was the perfect lover, and gave her a perfect night filled with more passion than she could ever imagine.  
  
The only question was, why was she so hell-bent on getting out of that room before he woke up?  
  
Fujin turned her head a little, and awkwardly peered at him through the darkness of the room, his golden hair being blown by the gentle wind passing through the open window. If he had looked any more beautiful lying there, she wouldn't have been able to move.  
  
She squirmed, trying to rid herself of his strong arms enveloping her waist. She pulled at his hand carefully, and laid it next to his body. She lifted the blanket wearily, getting ready to pull herself out of bed and gather any of her previously discarded clothes.  
  
Suddenly, the sleeping body next to her shifted, and she froze. She waited apprehensively, as Seifer's hand raised to run through his golden hair momentarily, and then fell to his side. Fujin's heart skipped a beat; maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.  
  
'I only came here to apologize; I didn't plan on this happening. What if I just turn into one of those locker room stories, like those other rumors going around about Seifer and his little sexual encounters? Then again, he seemed so damn . . . innocent, just like I was. I don't know what to do, what if things get weird? What if he expects me to leave anyway? What if he want's me to leave? Seifer, I wish we hadn't done this . . . I'm not ready for this . . . " Her thoughts were halted, as she felt a strong hand grasp her bare shoulder, pulling her back down next to the warmth underneath the blankets. Soft lips moved to her ear, and nibbled lightly before whispering gently to her.  
  
"You weren't thinking of leaving were you?" Seifer's voice was still weighed with sleep. He glanced to the clock, noticing that he had only three hours had passed since she showed up.  
  
Her body tensed from the sudden touch, but she felt herself melt against his body, letting him hold her completely.  
  
"No I just couldn't see the clock from here, I wanted to know what time is was." She lied, as she felt his hand travel to hers, entwining their fingers together. "But I should go, don't you think? I mean, people will be getting up in a couple of hours, we don't want them to see me do we?" She pulled her hand away, and reached out to grab her shirt that had been thrown onto the nightstand, but Seifer quickly grabbed her wrist, and brought her hand back to his. They sat silent for a moment, as his thumb traced patterns onto the palm of her hand. His steady breathing soothed her nerves momentarily, and the comfort of his lips brushing against her neck made her feel more at ease.  
  
"You know what Fuu?" He whispered quietly, still groggy from waking up moments ago. He kissed her neck and pulled her as close as he possibly could. "I don't give a damn if the whole world sees you leaving my room." He groaned loudly, and chuckled as her body shivered against his own.  
  
"You sure Seifer? I mean I can leave, it's not a problem, I don't mind, ya know?" She tried to pull away from him, but he just held her tighter, and laughed quietly.  
  
"You sound like Rajin, ya know?" He mocked her, and tickled her side lightly, causing her to squirm and giggle. After a few moments of laughter, Seifer became serious again, and kissed her neck once more.  
  
"I don't want you to leave Fuu, I happen to like laying here with you, in fact, I love laying here with you." Seifer nuzzled her neck, and yawned. "I love you baby." He murmured quietly, as he began to nod off into a deep coma once again. Fujin's heart stopped. She was only fifteen, she was still so young, and she wasn't ready to love anyone, even if she had once or twice said to herself that she loved him, it was a completely different story when the words were said out loud to each other. She opened her mouth to say the words, to give him anything, so he wouldn't feel hurt. But luckily, there was a quiet snore escaping her friend, and no words were needed. She let her body relax against his, and once again entwined their fingers. In all of her wildest dreams, she never imagined that she and Seifer . . .  
  
Her thoughts were subdued by her own weary mind, as she felt her eyelids become heavy. She would stay with him. If she couldn't give him her love, she would give him that much. She tuned her head and kissed his cheek lightly, before closing her eyes and drifting off into slumber.  
  
Underneath the veil of the darkened room, the golden man lying next to the pale angel smiled, listening to the falling rain outside.  
  
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A/N: Ok this was a transitional chapter, short, very short, but hey, it's an update!! Anyway, read and review please! Remember, the more reviews I get, the more interested in writing I am :) :) :). 


	9. Dreaming the Future

Chapter Nine

Dreaming the Future:

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A man trudged solemnly through the hallway of Sylvine Laboratory, with his black coat billowing out behind him from the speed in his great strides. A black-gloved hand ran through his hair in anxiety . . .

How he hated these emergency meetings with Dr. Sylvine . . .

Martine stood outside of the giant mahogany door leading to the said man's office, with his face twitching from nerves. He could only remember one other time when Sylvine had sounded so urgent in his calls . . .and Martine prayed for the sake of his own life-and many others-that this had no relevance. 

With hesitant movements, he pushed the door open, and walked inside with all of the confidence he could muster.  Showing weakness in front of Sylvine was like asking to be slaughtered.

"Well, well. Martine. How surprisingly pleasant it is that you've shown up on time! Maybe you _are_ making some improvements." 

Martine inwardly cussed at the old man, who's dried, wrinkly skin was furrowing on his brow in agitation.

"Well doctor, I do try to please you. I apologize for being such a disappointment over the years." He stated, his voice spewing bitterness.

"Quite all right boy." Sylvine waved a hand dismissively, and pivoted in his chair to pick up a green file. "I don't have much need for you these days anyway, what with Odine's sudden successes. Your influence here seems to be fading out . . .unfortunately." Martine suppressed his rage, as Sylvine smiled grimly. He slid the file across his black-walnut desk, and placed his chin carefully in his fissured hands. An evil smirk appeared on his face, beneath his white beard.

"What's this?" Martine asked with interest, as he picked the folder up and began to rifle through its contents.

"The girl Martine . . . the Sorceress can feel her presence. Odine communicates with Ultimeca via Adel's brain . . .and she knows that the girl is alive. The Sorceress can feel her every breath."

Martine's mouth hung agape, as he scanned over the files.

"But how can this be? How could Odine communicate with her? How could she have known? We kept it secret! The codes of confidentiality were never broken! I can't-" 

"SILENCE!" Sylvine bellowed, as he snatched the folder from Martine's hands. "For Hyne's sake, this is no time to exercise your jealousy!" He put the folder carefully in his desk, and cracked his knotty knuckles. Martine fell silent, his brown eyes gazing in disbelief at the elder in front of him.

"There is more news . . .," Sylvine hissed as his gray-blue eyes, clouded with age, caught Martine's gaze.

"The girl has passed the SeeD exam. She is now a mercenary, which means it is inevitable for her to come in contact with the Sorceress. Ultimeca will now be expecting her to battle against her. She will find her Martine . . . and all hope will be lost." Martine narrowed his eyes at this comment, and leaned forward.

"What do you mean, 'all hope will be lost'? Exactly how major is her role in this?" Sylvine released an exasperated sigh.

"To whom does she have extreme value Martine? Who are her friends, and more importantly, who are her friend's enemies? What person could be offered an ultimatum to end her life or to help Ultimeca control the world? The one who is destined to bring us all to downfall man! The one who loves her more than life itself! It's been weaved in the tapestry of fate for Hyne's sake! The one who would give anything . . ."

Martine stared off into the distance, as he connected all that he had learned with the new information he was provided. And with a whisper, he let the name seep from his lips like a curse.

"Almasy. . . "

"Precisely Martine. Seifer Almasy, the black knight of the future."

Martine let the information absorb in his mind, rolling it finely through all of the information he's learned working for Sylvine, and all of the legends he had read about as a young boy. Suddenly, his eyes snapped up to meet the orbs of the old doctor.

"If Almasy is the knight, than that means that Sanada is the-"

"Precisely Martine. She is the Mage of the Future."

A heavy silence passed through the room as Martine remembered the story that had been passed down for generations by the wisest men on Gaia; the romantic dream of a man that would destruct all mankind, and a world that would be destroyed because of love. The sorceress Ultimeca would be looking for two women, two weapons to use against the world. The Mage of the Past, and the Mage of the Future. One, the Mage of the Past, would be impossible to find. Covert and stealth mercenaries would protect her, and much chaos and death would be caused in order to obtain her. The Mage of the Future however, would fall into her hands like a butterfly into a net. Through manipulation, love, blackmail, and deceit, the Sorceress would trap her. It was written in stone, just as the first sorceress war had been. And Seifer Almasy was the chisel Ultimeca would use to carve the destruction of mankind.

"Sylvine . . . what do we do now?" Martine lifted his head to meet gray-blue orbs that sparked with ferocity.

"About Fujin Sanada? Nothing can be done about her now, everything's been set into motion. As we speak she's gaining more skill . . .we could never kill her, and Almasy would kill anyone we sent anyway. But Ellone Loire . . .if we could find her first and destroy her before the Sorceress has a chance to utilize her powers, we-"

"Doctor!" A short, gimlet-eyed man stumbled into the office. "Thought I should let you know that according to one of our spies, Almasy just placed a request into the B-Garden library for the Timer Manics Travel Guide at 14 hundred hours!"

"For Hyne's sake Piet! How many time do I have to tell you that I want IMPORTANT information, not information on his bad taste in books!"

"Sorry Doctor, I just thought you wanted to know about any travel related information, and it seems to me that he plans on taking a trip to Timber in the near future. Shall I investigate further?" Sylvine nodded to the blonde-haired gentlemen, who left as swiftly as he had entered.

"Did he say Timber?" Martine ran the name of the small town through his mind.

"Yes, and what relevance does it have to this situation? None what so ever! I'm afraid to imagine what happens to the future space program when Piet gets his filthy, moronic hands controlling it." Sylvine took a cigar out of a small wooden box on his table, and lit it absentmindedly.

"Sir . . . I think Piet may be more intelligent that you think. He just gave me a wonderful idea. We can keep the identity of the Mage of the Future secret from the sorceress herself."

"And how do you propose that?" Sylvine squinted his eyes and scowled.

"Make her believe it's someone else naturally. Doesn't General Caraway live in Timber?" Martine questioned, as a smug smile played over his lips.

"I believe he may. Why do you ask?"

"Well," Martine began, as he settled back in his chair, "If I remember correctly, there was also a specific group of warriors that were raised to be in this battle. One of them was the daughter of a Galbadian General . . .Rinoa Heartilly. If we can get Almasy to care for her, then we can convince Ultimeca that she is the Mage of the Future. And if we can convince her of that, then our plan is more secure."

Sylvine smiled evilly, as he stood and poured a bottle of blood-red brandy into two shot glasses. He handed one glass to Martine, who accepted greedily, and he then raised the glass before letting it touch his lips.

"Martine my friend," He said breathlessly, as he set the glass back onto his desk with tender care, "I believe you've just saved the world."

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Running. She couldn't stop running. The billowing wind seemed to carry her body across the desolate desert sand, pushing her into a dark abyss. It ran over her skin and made the scratchy grains of loose earth swarm around her ankles and fly into her eyes. What was this horrible place?

_She moved her hands in front of her, letting pale fingers stroke the ebony air, and finding nothing standing in her path. She waved her arms frantically, screaming words at the top of her lungs that were drown out by whatever force surrounded her. What she was so desperately searching for, she didn't know; but it was obvious that if she didn't find it, she would be lost here forever. _

_Her skin was cold, and her mind numb, unsure of where she was going or how to get there, lost in a sea of sand and shadows. She couldn't describe to herself what the air felt like, what the temperature was, or if she felt like she were in danger or just lost. Everything felt sewn together, like all of the elements of life had been compressed into this small space, in a black hole of confusion, and that she was stuck in the center of it._

It was then that she realized her legs were not moving at all, and that she was just being pushed forward throughout an unrecognizable chasm. Turning in a circle and letting her eyes roam the blackness around her, she noticed something white in the distance becoming closer.

_Something…or someone._

_The wind became to churn more rapidly, and Fujin closed her eyes in fright. As the figure of white drew closer, she peered through the darkness and noted that it was a person, and she knew very well who it was._

_He stood with his back to her, his broad shoulders displayed proudly beneath his white coat. He seemed taller than he should have been, and his frame was more filled out with bulky muscle than she remembered him to be. But there was no mistaking who this man was, because no one else in the world could wear that great white coat quite like him._

_The wind spiraled around her, catching wisps of silver hair and spinning them madly with its wispy fingers. The darkness seemed to ebb as she came closer to him, and the air started to feel warm and comforting, as if there was finally some sign of the living world nearby. With only feet between them, Fujin reached out with shaking hands and tentatively touched his shoulder. He spun around quickly, surprised that there was someone there with him, and let his emerald eyes fall on her petite form._

_And the wind stopped blowing._

_"Seifer? Is that really you?" She was scared of how different he looked. He was taller, and his face was more defined, along with the rest of his body. His hands looked massive and deadly, and his hair was a little longer than she remembered it to be. His emerald eyes that were once so vibrant and bright were now tired and dull as they gazed at her own. But what scared her most was the fading scar that lay between them._

_"F-Fujin." He stuttered, as he scanned her body. "What's going on? Why do you look so young?"_

_She stepped forward and touched his cheek, running her fingers over the rough stubble on his chin._

_"Why do you seem so…old?" He winced at the comment, and caught her hand in his, rubbing it gently with his thumb._

_"We've crossed paths again, ha, the young innocent Fujin and the evil knight. This would be one fucked up world to live in." He chuckled, and looked upwards in the dark sky, smiling at something that Fujin couldn't see. He turned his dull, tired eyes back to her and smiled weakly.  "I'm not the future you probably pictured, eh Fuu?"_

_"I don't understand Seifer. What do you mean 'evil knight'? And I'm certainly not 'young innocent Fujin' anymore. Not after…" She stopped, embarrassed by the words, and watched him bow his head and try to hide the slight smile that appeared on his lips. He pulled on her hand gently and brought her body against his own, wrapping his arms around her waist. She rested her head against his chest, listened to the steady beating of his heart. _

_"Man, have I missed this." He whispered to no one in particular, and ran one of his hands along her back. She let her own arms wrap around his warm body._

_ "Where are we Seifer? I'm scared." _

_"We're in time Fujin, we're compressed in time. You'll learn about it soon, don't worry." He kissed the top of her head, and let out a shaky sigh._

_"Compressed in time? But Seifer, I don't-" _

_"Shhhh." He quietly hushed her, and leaned down to nuzzle his face against hers. "No more questions. You'll know soon. In your world, you'll know before I even do. Have faith in what I say, and just let me hold you…just for a moment." Her heart wrenched for a reason that she didn't know. She felt like crying, like being swallowed up in the black abyss forever and not coming out, because she could feel the sorrow radiating from his body. What had happed to this Seifer?_

_She felt his hand on her face then, tilting her chin up so her crimson eye could meet his gaze. He pushed an unruly piece of silver hair from her vision, and seemed to study her for the first time since she had met him here in this dismal place. _

_"It's been almost three years since I've seen you like this." He murmured, tracing her face with his large hands. "You've always been beautiful." For a moment, she swore she could see tears form in his eyes as he stared at her._

_"Listen Fuu, there'll be some things I do in life that will hurt you. Horrible things…" He paused, trying to think of the best way to get his words across without scaring her. "But just remember that I'm human, and that even the people who seem so perfect in your eyes can make mistakes. And just remember that with everything hurtful I do to you, it doesn't mean I love you any less…in fact I might even be doing it because I love you so much." She stared at him with confused eyes._

_"I'm sorry for everything that's to come, and I hope that all of this works out the way it should." As if on it was planned all along, rain started to fall from the darkness, and a ray of sunshine shone through the black onto the pale girl and golden man standing in the middle of an endless desert._

_"By Hyne…" Seifer whispered, and smiled widely. "That Leonhart brat actually did it." He turned his attention back to Fujin, as he felt himself being lead out of the darkness by her presence.  "Thank you Fujin…for everything." He leaned down, and captured her lips in his own, before stepping backward and disappearing in the dark._

************************************************************************

Fujin sat up in bed with a start as she exited the dream world. Breathing heavily, she covered her hands with her face and began to sob. She cried his name into the air.

"Seifer!"

There was a rapid movement next to her, and she felt her body being tackled by another warm body, and being pushed down against the mattress in urgency. 

"What? What's wrong? Is someone in here?" Bright emerald eyes scanned the room quickly, and then looked down at Fujin, who was trying to hide under the sheets and shaking her head timidly.

"Fuu, what's the matter?" He saw her tear stained face, and moved his weight off of her, afraid he'd hurt her with the tackle he just made on her little body. "Shit, I'm sorry! I thought you were in danger. I didn't mean to-"

"Seif! You're still here!" She placed her hands on his face and pulled him down so that she could kiss him. He raised his eyebrows quizzically, and smirked as she released him.

"Yeah. But what would I get if I left and came back?" She ignored the lecherous grin on his face, and ran her hands through his hair. 

"I had the strangest dream Seifer. I thought I lost you! I was in a desert." She paused, running the other Seifer's words over in her head. "A desert of time." She frantically ran her hands over his shoulders and across his back muscles, completely forgetting their nakedness. "And you were there…except for you were older, and saying the strangest things to me." She was quieted as he lowered his lips to caress her own.

"I'm still here Fuu. It was just a dream." She wiped the tears from her face, and whispered. "But it seemed so real."

"Mmmm" Seifer groaned, no longer paying attention to Fujin's dream. He was busying himself with kissing her neck and running his hand over her abdomen.

"Seifer!" She slapped the back of his head, and scuttled away from him. "I'm being serious here! It wasn't just a dream, it seemed like a vision of the future or something!"

He grabbed her close to him again, and grinned mischievously. "So tell me prophet, what do you see in the near future for us, you know, just in these next few minutes?" Fujin's cheeks burned a brilliant red as he stared at her, and she turned away to look at the clock.

"Well, I see that classes start in about ten minutes and that neither of us are ready. Therefore, I predict that I'll go take a shower, and that you'll stay here alone." Seifer glanced at the clock, and then back at Fujin.

"Well that wasn't quite the future I pictured." He laughed, as he wrapped the sheets more snugly around her and helped her gather her clothes. His words made her think back to her dream, and what that Seifer had said to her when she first saw him.

"We'll cross paths again soon." She whispered, as she walked away. Seifer stared at the place she had just been standing in, and shrugged his shoulders.

'You are one strange girl Fuu.' He thought, as he rolled off the bed and went to his dresser, smiling all the while.

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Finally, an update! I hope this chapter didn't confuse people. The first section takes place in the present, the second section is Fujin's dream, and the third section takes place in the present. In case people didn't know…. hope you enjoyed it, sorry about the wait!


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